BANCROFT    LIBRARY 


r 

Jib 


FOUNDER  Of  THE   W^  M  RICE   INSTITUTE 


j.  e. 
>EUY  OP 

1C  COAST 

STOUT 


Foreword 


The  Story  of  Houston  has  not  proved  an  easy  one  to  write. 
A  city  is  in  many  respects  a  conglomeration  of  units  rather 
than  an  aggregate  of  unities.  The  units  are  of  character  so 
varying  that  it  is  hard  to  reduce  them  to  a  common  denominator. 
Municipal  consciousness  is  vague  and  much  that  happens  in  the 
development  of  a  city  seems  to  be  fortuitous  rather  than 
teleological.  Yet  Houston  has  in  many  respects  grown  to 
formula  and  plan  and  has  often  responded  heartily  to  conscious 
effort  made  at  improvement  of  conditions.  The  foundations  of 
the  past  have  been  used  and  effort -has  been  often  cumulative  in 
results.  Undeniably  there  is  a  municipal  spirit,  an  esprit  du 
corps  of  the  citizens  that  argues  well  for  the  future  of  the  town. 

The  plan  followed  in  writing  this  history  has  been  to  outline 
the  beginnings  of  things,  especially  in  the  days  of  the  Republic, 
in  a  manner  that  in  so  far  as  possible  follows  the  order  in  which 
the  events  occurred.  After  Texas  entered  the  Union  the  growth 
of  the  city  is  incidentally  shown  in  tracing  the  growth  of  the 
several  institutions  the  aggregate  of  whose  history  is  the  history 
of  the  city.  The  last  chapter  of  the  book  hinges  in  a  manner 
directly  on  to  the  last  chapter  on  the  days  of  the  Republic  and 
outlines  the  various  periods  in  the  municipal  life,  gives  pen 
pictures  of  the  city  at  intervals  of  years,  and  recapitulates 
briefly  the  latest  era  of  greatest  achievement. 

The  volume  is  true  history  in  that  an  appeal  has  been 
made  directly  to  the  sources  of  history.  These  have  been  three; 
newspapers,  there  have  been  newspapers  in  Houston  from  the 
earliest  times  and  it  began  with  a  newspaper  advertisement; 
the  observations  of  eye-witnesses  as  they  were  recounted  in 
books,  especially  those  of  travel  and  adventure,  as  to  conditions 
in  Houston;  and  the  recollections  of  the  citizens  themselves.  A 


10  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

number  of  manuscript  letters  of  Sam  Houston  and  others  were 
also  used. 

Every  extant  number  of  the  files  of  the  Telegraph,  the 
Morning  Star,  the  Houston  Post  and  the  Houston  Chronicle 
was  carefully  searched  for  data,  an  expert  spending  four  months 
in  going  over  the  newspaper  files  alone.  Matter  sufficient  for 
the  writing  of  five  volumes  the  size  of  this  one  was  obtained 
and  the  question  of  the  selection  of  data  assumed  importance. 
Many  facts  and  incidents  are  given  as  they  are  recalled  in  the 
memories  of  old  citizens  who  had  personal  knowledge  of  the 
facts  or  who  participated  in  the  events. 

A  number  of  the  chapters  were  written  by  Dr.  S.  0.  Young, 
whose  family  belongs  to  ,  the  earliest  settlers  and  who  often 
writes  from  personal  recollections  cf  events  occurring  within  the 
last  half  century.  Dr.  Young  was  at  one  time  the  editor  of 
the  Houston  Post,  was  later  the  managing  editor  of  the  Galveston 
News  and  has  a  wide  acquaintance  with  both  local  and  Texas 
history  and  is  famed  as  a  raconteur. 

A  number  of  chapters,  including  all  those  of  the  period  of 
the  Republic  and  the  chapter  on  the  Wm.  M.  Rice  Institute, 
were  written  entirely  by  the  editor. 

Such  statistics  as  are  given  without  reference  to  their 
source  are  those  current  in  the  newspapers  of  their  respective 
dates  or  such  as  are  given  by  those  in  position  to  possess  true 
information. 

This  work  may  fairly  lay  claim  to  the  following  negative 
merits : 

There  is  not  one  line  of  its  text  that  is  advertising.  Such 
mention  as  is  made  cf  firms,  persons  or  ccrpcrations  is  absolutely 
gratuitous  and  is  made  because  the  editor  believed  that  the 
person,  firm  or  corporation  deserved  such  mention  in  fairly 
telling  the  story  of  Houston. 

There  is  no  conscious  or  deliberate  padding  of  facts  and 
figures  or  exaggeration  of  statement.  The  editor  feels  great 
pride  in  Houston,  but  he  has  made  no  attempt  to  show  the  city 
in  a  rosy  glow. 

There  has  been  a  careful  avoidance  of  the  valley  of  dry 


Foreword  11 

bones  of  municipal  politics.  Dead  issues  have  been  left  in  their 
moribund  condition  fully  wrapped  in  their  shrouds  and 
vestments.  Only  when  such  important  matters  as  the  beginning 
or  ending  of  the  carpet  bag  government  or  the  change  from  the 
old  ward  system  of  politics  to  the  commission  form  of  government 
were  to  be  noted  have  the  issues  of  municipal  campaigns  been 
noticed.  Much  more  has  there  been  an  avoidance  of  state  and 
national  politics. 

In  writing  this  history  special  prominence  has  been  given 
to  the  Rice  Institute  because  this  institution  seems  certain 
to  play  a  tremendous  part  in  the  city's  future  history.  The 
sketch  of  William  M.  Rice  is  the  only  one  ever  written  and  in 
preparing  it  the  men  who  had  known  him  in  his  lifetime  and 
his  business  activities  were  consulted  for  information  in  their 
possession.  It  is  believed  to  be  a  faithful  portrayal  of  the  man 
who  takes  rank  as  Houston's  greatest  benefactor. 

Growth  in  the  future  will  be  so  rapid  that  unless  some 
measures  are  taken  to  preserve  the  city's  early  story  it  might 
easily  be  lost. 

Such  a  volume  as  the  present  one,  despite  the  care  and 
trouble  necessary  to  prepare  it,  necessarily  appeals  to  a  circle 
of  readers  found  within  the  list  of  the  citizens  of  Houston 
itself,  together  with  a  few  outside  students  of  economic  or 
municipal  conditions,  It  is  believed,  however,  that  this  book 
will  be  of  interest  and  value  to  all  lovers  of  Houston  and 
the  editor  chiefly  deplores  that  he  has  found  it  impossible  to 
even  name  all  the  worthy  men  and  women  who  have  contributed 
to  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  city,  and  will  be  the  first 
to  admit  that  the  services  of  many  here  unnamed  are  worthy  to 
take  rank  along  with  the  highest  and  best  of  those  capitulated. 

The  editor  cordially  acknowledges  the  aid  and  assistance 
rendered  by  newspaper  writers,  by  musicians,  by  architects  and 
by  others  who  have  given  counsel  or  advice  on  matters  relating 
to  their  professions  or  callings. 

The  work  is  submitted  as  a  record  of  the  achievements  of 
a  city  that  is  just  three  quarters  of  a  century  old.  The  record 
is  carried  to  a  date  that  varies  between  February  28,  1911  and 


12  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

November  !,•  1911,  as  the  chapters  went  to  press  at  varying 
dates.     It  is  the  wish  of  the  editor  that  it  may  prove  to  be 
worthy  of  the  friendly  consideration  of  those  who  love  Houston 
and  believe  in  her  future. 
Nov.  21,  1911.  THE  EDITOR. 


This  edition  of  the  Standard  History  of  Houston  was 
printed  for  subscribers  only.  The  edition  was  limited  to  the 
subscription  list  and  the  type  has  been  distributed. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


Protrait  Illustrations 

,  WM.  M.  ...  Frontispiece 

RICE,  J.  S.  ..  Facing  313 

JONES,.  JJSSSE.  II.  "  '336 

CARTER,  W.  T.  ...  ll       369 

JONES,  FRED.  A.   .  "403 


CONTENTS 

. CHAPTER  I 

Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life 


HOUSTON,  a  Monument  to  Real  Estate  Promoters'  Art.  First 
Built  on  Paper  and  Advertised  all  over  America.  Pro- 
hibitive Prices  of  Land  at  Harrisburg  Caused  Choice  of 
Houston's  Site.  Foresight  of  A.  C.  and  J.  K.  Allen.  The 
First  Steamer  up  the  Bayou.  City  Mapped  and  Plotted. 
Rivalry  with  Harrisburg.  Founding  of  Harrisburg.  Geo- 
logical Formation  of  Harris  County.  Early  Social  Condi- 
tions. Fights  and  Murders.  Civil  Officers,  Laws  and 
Justice.  Building  Court  House  and  Jail.  First  Court 
Trials,  First  Wedding,  First  Divorce.  City's  Mayors  under 
the  Republic.  Much  Litigation  and  Many  Land  Frauds. 


CHAPTER  II 
Early  Day  Amusements 


Hunting,  Fishing  and  Poker.  The  Jockey  Club  and  Horse 
Racing.  Notable  Dances,  the  San  Jacinto  Anniversary 
Ball  and  Description  of  Sam  Houston  and  Other  Partici- 
pants. A  Festival  Meal  at  Houston 's  First  Hotel.  City 's 
First  Theatres  and  their  Performances. 


CHAPTER  III 
Houston  and  the  Red  Men 


Sam  Houston  and  the  Cherokees.  An  Indian  Dance.  Letters 
from  Chiefs  John  Jolly  and  Bowles.  Houston's  Indian 
Talk.!  Fate  of  Cherokees  and  Comanches, 


16  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

CHAPTER  IV 
Capital  Days  and  Annexation 


Houston  Chosen  as  Capital  City  of  New  Nation.  Erection  of 
Capitol  Building.  First  Newspaper.  British  Representa- 
tive, present  at  Sam  Houston's  Inaugural  Address.  Second 
Congress  Meets  in  Houston — Its  Activities.  Visit  of 
Admiral  Baudin  of  France.  Mirabeau  B.  Lamar  and  His 
Policies  as  President.  England's  Refusal  to  Recognize 
Independence.  Slaves  in  Houston.  Removal  of  Capital 
to  Austin.  Causes  of  Annexation.  The  Vote  in  Harris 
County. 


CHAPTER  V 
Early  Religious  Organizations 


Houston 's  Pioneer  Churches.     Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Bap- 
tists and  Catholics  Early  Founded  Congregations. 


CHAPTER  VI 
Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou 


City  of  Houston's  Early  Progress  and  Poverty.  Arrival  of 
Schooner  "Rolla. "  Financial  Panic  and  Yellow  Fever 
Epidemic  of  1839.  First  Book  Published  in  City.  Building 
of  Wharves  and  Organization  of  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Early  Descriptions  of  the  Buffalo  River  and  its  Steamboat 
Life.  British  Consul  Ikin's  Description  of  Houston.  Civic 
Prosperity.  Houston  Enters  Union  as  Commercial  Empor- 
ium and  Business  Capital  of  the  State. 


CHAPTER  VII 
The  City  Government 


Early   City  Limits.     First  Market  House.     "Reconstruction" 
Administration.     First  Bridge  Across  Buffalo  Bayou.    The 


Contents  17 

First  Fire  Company.  Houston  Hook  and  Ladder  Company. 
The  Fire  Department  of  Today.  Early  Police  Officers.  Some 
Old  Police  Notes.  The  Police  Department  Today.  City 
Water  Works.  Houston  Gas  Company.  Contending  with 
a  Big  Debt.  What  Mayor  D.  C.  Smith  Accomplished. 
Mayor  Rice  and  the  Commission  Form  of  Government. 
What  the  Commission  Has  Done  for  Houston. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
The  Bench  and  Bar 


High  Character  of  Early  Lawyer^.  First  District  Court.  Early 
Legal  Documents.  Great  Criminal  Lawyers.  Ex-Governor 
Henderson 's  Butcher  Knife.  Members  of  Early  Bar.  Crim- 
inal and  District  Court  Judges.  The  County  Court  and 
Its  Judges.  Judge  Hamblen's  Reminiscences.  Harris 
County  Bar  Association.  Houston  as  a  Source  of  Legal 
Business. 


CHAPTER  IX 
Medical  History 


Pioneer  Physicians  and  Their  Labors.  First  Houston  Medical 
Association.  Organization  of  the  State  Medical  Association. 
Railroad  Surgeons  Association.  Harris  County  Medical 
Association.  Houston's  Modern  Hospitals.  Story  of  Early 
Epidemics.  The  Doctors  and  the  Newspapers. 


CHAPTER  X 
Church  History 


Founding  of  the  Evangelical  Churches  in  Houston.     Organiza- 
tion   of    the     Baptists,     Methodists,     Presbyterians,     and 
'  Episcopalians.     German  Lutheran  Churches,  Disciples  and 
Christian  Scientists.     The  Roman  Catholic  Institutions  in 


18  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Houston.      Congregation   Beth    Israel   and   Hebrew   Syna- 
gogues.   The  Houston  Y.  M.  C.  A. 


CHAPTER  XI 

Education  and  Free  Schools 


Houston's  Earliest  Schools  were  Private  Enterprises.  Lack  of 
Proper  School  Facilities.  The  Houston  Academy.  Congres- 
sional Appropriations  for  Public  Schools.  Free  Schools 
Flourished  only  after  Civil  War.  Arguments  Against  the 
System.  Houston  First  City  to  Take  Control  of  Her  Schools. 
City  School  Superintendents.  Opening  of  Public  Schools 
in  October,  1877.  Comparative  Growth  from  1877  to  1909. 
Scientific  Features  in  City's  Schools.  Superintendent 
Horn's  Summary  of  Decade  from  1901  to  1911.  Private 
School  Enterprises. 


CHAPTER  XII 
The  Rice  Institute 


Houston's  Inheritance  Through  a  Tragedy.  The  Storv  of  a 
Famous  Crime.  A  Princely  Gift.  A  Biography  of  William 
M.  Rice.  The  Initial  Donation.  A  Continuating  Benevo- 
lence. The  Monument  to  the  Childless  Man.  William  M. 
Rice  as  Philanthropist  and  Business  Man.  Dr.  Edgar  Odell 
Lovett  elected  President  of  the  Institute.  Laying  the  Corner 
Stone.  The  City's  Dominant  Institution. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Houston  Newspapers 


Story  of  First  Newspaper  in  Texas  and  its  Removal  to  Houston. 
The  Telegraph  and  Register.  The  Morning  Star.  Flood  of 
Newspaper  Enterprises  Following  Civil  War.  Special  Inter- 
est and  Trade  Periodicals  in  Houston.  The  Houston  Tele- 


Contents  10 

gram.  The  Houston  Post  Organized  and  Suspended.  The 
New  Post.  The  Houston  Herald.  The  Chronicle  and  Its 
Makers.  Some  Famous  Newspaper  Men.  Some  Early  and 
Late  Authors  and  Writers.  Organization  of  Texas  State 
Press  Association. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
Transportation  and  Communication 


Early  Transportation  Difficulties.  An  Early  Monopoly  Pro- 
posed. The  First  Railroad.  Other  Early  Roads.  The  G. 
H.  &  H.  Road.  Beginning  of  Texas  and  New  Orleans  Line, 
Railroads  During  War  and  Reconstruction  Days.  Systems 
Center  in  Houston.  The  Plank  Road  Company.  The  Ox- 
Wagon  Trade.  Paul  Bremond's  Enterprise.  Growing  Need 
for  Roads.  Houston  as  Terminus  for  Seventeen  Roads. 
Houston's  Railroad  Trackage,  Trains  and  Headquarters. 
Sunset  Central  System.  Katy  and  Sap  Terminals.  Santa 
Fe  and  Frisco  Lines.  Bayou  Navigation.  The  Wharfage 
Fight.  Charles  Morgan  ancl  the  Ship  Channel.  The  Gov- 
ernment and  the  Channel.  Deepening  the  Channel.  Bayou 
Traffic.  Houston  Terminal  Company.  First  Street  Car 
Company.  Extending  Street  Railways.  Operation  Under 
Stone-Webster  Syndicate.  Trackage  and  Pay  Roll.  Houston 
Galveston  Interurban.  Earliest  Telegraph  Service.  Begin- 
nings of  Telephone  Service.  Present  Telegraph  Service  in 
Houston.  Southwestern  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Company. 
Automatic  Telephone  Company.  Wireless  Telegraphy. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Societies  and  Clubs 


Free  Masonry  in  Texas.  Holland  Lode-e  and  Texas  Grand  Lodge 
Organized.  First  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  Elks.  The  Houston  Turn  Verein.  Thp  Volks- 
Fests.  Societies  of  War  Veterans.  Terry's  Texas  Rangers. 
Second  Texas  Infantry  and  Waul's  Legion.  Hood's  Texas 
Brigade.  The  Bayou  City  Guards.  Dick  Dowling  Camp  U. 


20'  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

C.  V.  and  Post  McLennan  No.  9,  G.  A.  R.  Houston  Militia 
Companies.  The  Light  Guard.  Troop  A.  First  Texas 
Cavalry.  Jeff  Miller  Rifles.  The  Annual  No-Tsu-Oh  Carni- 
val. Z.  Z.  and  Thalian  Clubs.  Country  Club.  Houston 
Club.  Charitable  Societies.  Organized  Charities,  Faith 
Home,  Wesley  House,  Florence  Crittenden  Home,  Star  of 
Hope  Mission.  Houston  Settlement  Association. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Societies  and  Clubs — Continued 


First  Literary  Society.  Organisation  of  Houston  Lyceum. 
Early  Efforts  to  Establish  a  Library.  The  Houston  Lyceum 
and  Carnegie  Library.  The  Ladies  Reading  Club.  Ladies 
Shakespeare  Club.  The  Two  other  Shakespeare  Clubs. 
Current  Literature  Club.  Houston  Pen  Women's  Associa- 
tion. Houston  Branch  of  Dickens  Fellowship.  Lady  Wash- 
ington Chapter.  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 
San  Jacinto  Chapter  No.  2,  Daughters  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas.  Robert  E.  Lee  Chapter  186,  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy.  Oran  M.  Roberts  Chapter  440,  U.  D.  C. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Organized  Labor 


Organized  Labor  is  Prosperous  in  Houston.  Houston  Labor 
Council's  Full  Report  Showing  Numbers  and  Conditions 
in  all  the  Organized  Crafts.  Good  Wages  are  Paid  and 
Sweating  System  is  not  in  Vogue. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
Board  of  Trade  and  Banks 


Organization  of  Board  of  Trade  and  Cotton  Exchange.     The 
Cotton  Exchange  Building.     Officers  of  Exchange.     Cotton 


Contents  21 

as  King.  Cotton  Compresses  and  Warehouses.  The  Hous- 
ton Business  League.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Hous- 
ton's Early  Banks.  Growth  Shown  by  Bank  Clearings. 
Houston's  Modern  Banks.  City's  Big  Trust  Companies. 
The  Houston  Clearing  House. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Houston 's  Manufacturers 


Primitive  Beginnings.  Natural  Advantages  Offered.  The 
First  Mills.  Advent  of  Co'tor  Compress.  Coming  of  Iron 
Foundries.  Revival  of  Manufacturing  Following  the  Civil 
War.  First  Ice  Plants.  Packing  Plants.  Conditions  from 
1880  to  1890.  Car  Wheel  Shops.  Electric  Lights.  Cotton 
Seed  Products.  Textile  Mills.  Furniture  and  Other  Wood- 
working Plants.  Manufacturing  in  1905.  Coffee  Roasting- 
Launch  Building.  Manufacturing  Statistics.  Fuel  and 
Water.  Home  Products  Banquet. 


CHAPTER  XX 

Wholesale  Trade  and  Big  Business 


Pioneer  Conditions  of  Trade.  Steamboat  Element  in  Houston's 
Business  Prosperity.  Natural  Advantages  Built  up  Great 
Industries.  Water  Competition  Gives  Advantageous  Rail- 
road Tariffs.  Houston's  Trade  Territory.  How  Annual 
Wholesale  Business  of  $90,000,000  is  pro  rated.  City's  376 
Incorporated  Companies.  Growth  of  Produce  Business. 
Importation  of  Fruits.  Sugar  Jobbing  Trade.  Packing 
House  Business.  Changes  in  Methods  of  Marketing  Cotton. 
How  Houston  was  Made  a  Cotton  Buyers'  Market.  Houston, 
the  Great  Selling  Market  for  Lumber.  Results  of  Lumber 
Panic  Prices  of  1907,  in  Concentrated  Selling  Agencies  in 
Houston.  Manufacturing  Capacity  of  Big  Lumber  Firms. 
Movement  ot  Curtail  Manufacture.  Facts  and  Figures  on 
Lumber  Industry.  Turpentine  Trade.  The  J.  R.  Morris 
Plan  for  Rice  Culture.  Houston's  Rice  Mills.  Rice  Pro- 
duction and  Food  Value.  Houston's  Retail  Trade  and  Wage 
Earners.  Capital  Invested  in  Retail  Trade. 


22  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

CHAPTER  XXI 
Music  and  Art 


Houston's  Early  Development  as  Musical  Center  Due  to  Cultured 
German  Citizens.  High  Capacity  Demanded  by  Thursday 
Morning  Club.  City's  Record  on  Symphony  Concerts.  The 
Treble  Clef  Club.  The  Womans  Choral  Club.  The  Hous- 
ton Quartette  Society.  Federation  of  English  Singing  Soci- 
eties of  Texas.  The  Houston  Saengerbund.  The  Houston 
Music  Festival  Association.  Symphony  Orchestras  and 
Grand  Operas.  The  Japanese  Maid.  Bands  and  Orchestras. 
Co-operative  Work.  Musical  Critics.  The  Future  in  Music. 
But  Few  Local  Artists.  Hugo  Schoppman.  Work  of  Thuse- 
tan  Donnellen  and  Edgar  Mitchell.  Boris  Gordon's  Famous 
Portrait.  The  Art  League. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
Houston's  Public  Buildings 


City's  Early  Court-Houses  and  Jails.  The  New  County  Court 
House.  Present  County  and  City  Jails.  A  Peripatetic  Post 
Office.  The  New  Federal  Building.  The  Viaduct.  The  City 
Market  House.  The  New  Auditorium.  The  City  Fire 
Stations. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
Architecture  and  Building 


Tents  and  Log  Huts  Were  First  Buildings.  Primitive  American 
Architecture.  The  First  Brick  Houses.  The  First  Three- 
Story  House.  The  First  Four-Story  Hotel.  The  Latin 
Influence.  The  First  Six-Story  Office  Building.  Effect  of 
Introducing  the  New  Building  Materials.  Restrictions 
Placed  by  Climate  on  Architecture.  First  Eleven-Story 
Building.  South  Texas  National  Bank  Building.  The 
Carter  Building.  First  National  Bank  Building.  The  Union 
National  Bank  Building.  The  Chronicle  Building.  South- 


Contents  23 

western  Telephone  Building.  New 'Union  Station.  Southern 
Pacific  Office  Building.  The  Court  House  and  the  Federal 
Building.  Apartment  Houses.  The  Bender  Hotel.  The 
New  Rice  Hotel.  Architecture  of  the  Churches.  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  Building.  Suburban  and  Country  Homes.  The  Wm. 
M.  Rice  Institute.  Houston  Residences.  Building  Permits. 

o 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
Insurance 


Houston  Gets  Lowest  Rate  of  Fire  Insurance  Premium.  Fire 
Fighting  Apparatus.  Early  Fire  Insurance.  Planters  Fire 
Insurance  Company.  Purchase  of  Bogus  Bonds  Destroyed 
Houston  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company.  Guarantee 
Life  Insurance  Company.  Remarkable  Prosperity  of  the 
Great  Southern  Company. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
Theatres 


Santa  Anna  Broke  up  First  Theatre  Project.  The  Thompson 
and  Buckley  Theatres.  The  Gray  Opera  House.  Early 
Amateur  Dramatic  Clubs.  Academy  of  Music  First  Local 
Home  of  Vaudeville.  The  Beautiful  New  Majestic  Theatre. 
The  Prince  Theatre.  The  Old  Majestic.  The  New  Cozy. 
Moving  Picture  Shows  and  Stock  Companies. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
Parks  and  Cemeteries 


Purchase  and  Development  of  Sam  Houston  Park.  Highland 
Park.  Cleveland  Park.  Elizabeth  Baldwin  Park.  City's  need 
of  Plaza  Parks.  Ruined  Condition  of  City's  Earliest  Ceme- 
teries. Episcopal  Church  and  Holland  Lodge  Cemetery. 
Glenwood  and  Catholic  Cemeteries.  List  of  other  Cemeteries. 


24  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Sylvan  Beauties  of  Burying  Ground.    Land  Tenure  of  Cem- 
etery Lots. 

o — 

CHAPTER  XXVII 
Old  Landmarks 


The  Old  Indian  Trading  Post.  The  Old  City  Hotel  and  Hutchins 
House.  Site  of  Capitol  and  Land  Office  Buildings.  Hous- 
ton's Mansion.  Where  the  First  Store  Stood.  Two  Historic 
Bridges.  Sites  of  Early  Railroad  Construction.  The  Old 
City  Wharf.  Reminiscences  on  Destruction  of  Houston's 
First  Hotel. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
Houston's  Growth  and  Progress 


The  Several  Periods  of  Houston's  History.  The  Plan  Followed 
in  Writing  the  City's  Story.  A  Chapter  of  Recapitulation. 
Characteristics  of  the  Pioneer  Builders.  Trade  Revival 
Following  Annexation.  The  Days  of  Ox-Wagon  Traffic. 
Benefits  from  the  First  Railroad.  The  Destructive  Early 
Fires  and  their  Results.  A  Pen  Picture  of  the  City  in  1857. 
Houston  During  the  Civil  War.  Blockade  Running  and  Trade 
Conditions.  Houston  as  Military  Headquarters.  Feverish 
Gaiety  of  the  War  Period.  A  Dearth  of  Food  and  Clothes. 
Confederate  Money  and  Shin  Plasters.  Rapid  Business 
Revival  When  War  Closed.  Texas  on  Gold  and  Silver  Basis. 
City  Looted  Under  Carpet  Bag  Rule.  A  Pen  Picture  of 
Houston  in  1879.  A  Period  of  Lethargy  and  Stagnation. 
The  Years  of  Growth  and  Expansion.  Rapid  Increase  in 
Property  Values.  City's  Population  Doubles  Each  Decade. 
The  Great  Skyscraper  Era.  Synopsis  of  City's  Relation  to 
Big  Business  Taken  from  City  Directory  of  1911.  What 
Houston  has  Accomplished  in  the  75  Years  of  its  Life. 
The  Promise  of  the  Future. 


CHAPTER  I 

• 

Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life 


HOUSTON,  a  Monument  to  Real  Estate  Promoters'  Art.  First 
Built  on  Paper  and  Advertised  all  over  America.  Pro- 
hibitive Prices  of  Land  at  Ilarrisburg  Caused  Choice  of 
Houston's  Site.  Foresight  of  A.  C.  and  J.  K.  Allen.  The 
First  Steamer  up  the  Bayou.  City  Mapped  and  Plotted. 
Rivalry  with  Harrisburg.  Founding  of  Harrisburg.  Geo- 
logical Formation  of  Harris  County.  Early  Social  Condi- 
tions. Fights  and  Murders.  Civil  Officers,  Laws  and 
Justice.  Building  Court  House  and  Jail.  First  Court 
Trials,  First  Wedding,  First  Divorce.  City's  Mayors  under 
the  Republic.  Much  Litigation  and  Many  Land  Frauds. 


Houston  is  a  splendid  monument  to  the  success  of  the 
real  estate  promoter's  art.  Other  cities  have  prospered  Topsy 
wise.  They  just  grew.  A  lucky  place  at  a  cross  roads,  a  river 
bend  or  a  mountain  pass  where  they  might  catch  the  drift  from 
the  tides  of  travel  and  by  the  simple  process  of  accretion  or 
the  fortuitous  concourse  of  human  atoms  a  city  came  into  being. 
Not  so  Houston.  Its  site  was  selected  by  promoters,  it  was 
mapped  and  planned  ere  ever  a  house  was  built,  its  advan- 
tages were  touted  in  the  national  press  and  it  has  performed 
the  singular  feat  of  growing  largely  according  to  the  plans 
and  specifications  originally  laid  out  for  its  development  and 
has  surpassed  the  most  "whopping"  predictions  as  to  its  growth 
and  prosperity. 

All  the  stage  wits  and  travelling  vaudeville  artists  use 
Harrisburg  as  the  target  for  their  country  village  jokes  and 
yet  curiously  enough  it  was  the  prohibitive  price  of  land  in 
Harrisburg  that  caused  Houston  to  be  chosen  and  built.  The 
promoters  recognized  the  obvious  fact  that  Harrisburg  is  a 


26  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

better  place  for  a  city  than  Houston  and  tried  to  buy  there 
but  the  owners  of  the  proposed  townsite  were  greedy  and 
hence  a  site  farther  up  the  river  was  chosen. 

By  a  deed  of  the  date  of  August  26,  1836,  and  for  a  recited 
consideration  of  $5,000,  two  New  York  speculators,  the  brothers 
A.  C.  and  J.  K.  Allen,  purchased  of  Mrs.  T.  F.  L.  Parrott  the 
south  half  of  the  lower  of  the  two  leagues  of  land  granted 
to  John  Austin,  near  the  head  of  tide  water  on  Buffalo  Bayou. 
It  was  immediately  put  on  the  market  as  a  townsite.  The 
first  formal  annoucement  is  an  advertisement  published  in  the 
"Columbia  Telegraph"  of  the  date  of  August  30,  1836.  It 
reads : 

"THE  TOWN  OF  HOUSTON, 

"Situated  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  west  bank  of 
Buffalo  river  is  now  for  the  first  time  brought  to  public  notice, 
because,  until  now,  the  properties  were  not  ready  to  offer  to 
the  public,  with  the  advantages  of  capital  and  improvements. 

"The  town  of  Houston  is  located  at  a  point  on  the  river 
which  must  ever  command  the  trade  of  the  largest  and  richest 
portion  of  Texas.  By  reference  to  the  map  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  trade  of  San  Jacinto,  Spring  Creek,  New  Kentucky,  and 
the  Brazos,  above  and  below  Fort  Bend,  must  necessarily  come 
to  this  place,  and  will  at  this  time  warrant  the  employment 
of  at  least  $1,000,000  of  capital,  and  when  the  rich  lands  of 
this  country  shall  be  settled,  a  trade  will  flow  to  it,  making  it, 
beyond  all  doubt,  the  great  interior  commercial  emporium 
of  Texas. 

"The  town  of  Houston  is  distant  15  miles  from  the  Brazos 
river,  30  miles  a  little  north  of  east  from  the  San  Felipe,  60  miles 
from  Washington,  40  miles  from  Lake  Creek,  30  miles  south- 
west from  New  Kentucky  and  15  miles  by  water  and  8  or  10 
by  land  above  Harrisburg. 

"Tide  water  runs  to  this  place  and  the  lowest  depth  of 
water  is  about  6  feet.  Vessels  from  New  Orleans  to  New  York 
can  sail  without  obstacle  to  this  place,  and  steamboats  of  the 
largest  class  can  run  down  to  Galveston  Island  in  8  or  10 
hours  in  all  seasons  of  the  year. 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  27 

"It  is  but  a  few  hours  sail  down  the  bay,  where  one  may 
make  excursions  of  pleasure  and  enjoy  the  luxuries  of  fish, 
fowl,  oysters  and  sea  bathing. 

"Galveston  Harbor,  being  the  only  one  in  which  vessels 
drawing  a  large  draft  of  water  can  navigate,  must  necessarily 
render  the  island  the  great  naval  and  commercial  depot  of  the 
country. 

' '  The  town  of  Houston  must  be  the  place  where  arms,  ammu- 
nitions and  provisions  for  the  government  will  be  stored, 
because,  situated  in  the  very  heart  of  the  country,  it  combines 
security  and  means  of  easy  distribution,  and  a  national  armory 
will  no  doubt  very  soon  be  at  this  point. 

' '  There  is  no  place  in  Texas  more  healthy,  having  an  abun- 
dance of  excellent  spring  water.  ;md  enjoy  lag  the  sea  breeze 
in  all  its  freshness. 

"No  place  in  Texas  possesses  so  many  advantages  for 
building,  having  fine  ash,  cedar  and  oak  in  inexhaustible  quan- 
tities, also  the  tall  and  beautiful  magnolia  grows  in  abundance. 
In  the  vicinity  are  fine  quarries  of  stone. 

"Nature  appears  to  have  designated  this  place  for  the 
future  seat  of  government.  It  is  handsome  and  beautifully 
elevated,  salubrious  and  well  watered  and  now  in  the  very  heart 
or  center  of  population,  and  will  be  so  for  a  i^u^th  of  time  to 
come. 

"It  combines  two  important  advantages — a  communication 
with  the  coast  and  foreign  countries  and  with  the  different 
portions  of  the  Republic.  As  the  country  sl-.all  improve,  rail- 
roads will  become  in  use  and  will  be  extended  from  tnis  point 
to  the  Brazos  and  up  the  same,  and  also  i'roni  this  up  to  the 
headwaters  of  San  Jacinto,  embracing  that  rich  country,  and  in 
a  few  years  the  whole  trade  of  the  upper  Brazos  will  make 
its  way  into  Galveston  Bay  through  this  channel. 

"Preparations  are  now  making  to  erect  a  water  saw  mill 
and  a  large  public  house'  for  accommodation  will  soon  be 
opened.  Steamboats  now  run  in  this  river  and  will  in  a  short 
time  commence  running  regularly  to  the  island. 

"The  proprietors  offer  the  lots  for  sale  on  moderate  terms 


28  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

to  those  who  desire  to  improve  them,  and  invite  the  public  to 
examine  for  themselves. 

Signed  A.  C.  ALLEN,  for 

A.  C.  &  J.  K.  Allen. 
August  30,  1836,  6  m. 

"The  Commercial  Bulletin  of  New  Orleans,  Mobile  Adver- 
tiser, The  Globe  at  Washington,  Morning  Courier  and  New 
York  Enquirer,  New  York  Herald  and  Louisville  Public  Adver- 
tiser are  requested  to  make  3  insertions  of  this  advertise- 
ment and  forward  their  bills  to  this  office  for  payment." 

How  familiar  it  all  sounds.  Houston  boosters  ever  since 
then  have  been  consciously  or  unconsciously  plagiarizing  that 
model  and  brilliantly  worded  advertisement  of  the  unborn  city. 

Land  in  Texas  was  inexhaustible  and  cheap,  and  it  is  start- 
ling only  to  think  of  the  sheer  nerve  of  the  Allen  Brothers  in 
buying  a  large  segment  of  a  virgin  wilderness  on  the  banks 
of  a  brush  grown  bayou  and  deliberately  starting  out  to  make 
a  great  city  there  and  to  make  it  the  capital  of  a  new  nation 
and  then  to  advertise  it  all  over  a  foreign  country,  for  the 
United  States  was  then  a  foreign  country.  Not  only  did  the 
Allen  Brothers  start  out  to  work  this  miracle  but  they. actually 
accomplished  it.  Within  a  year's  time  this  city  of  paper  and 
tents  was  the  capital  of  Texas  and  was  entertaining  distin- 
guished men  from  many  parts  of  the  world. 

Like  most  promoters,  the  Aliens  strained  the  facts  a  bit,  but 
the  facts  could  stand  the  strain.  Communication  with  the 
coast  and  foreign  countries  was  not  of  the  best.  It  took  four 
days  to  traverse  the  distance  from  Harrisburg  to  Houston  by 
boat  and  only  a  bridle  path  traversed  the  jungle  that  inter- 
vened between  the  two  points  by  land. 

When  the  new  city  was  first  announced,  Dr.  Pleasant  W. 
Rose  of  a  neighboring  town  with  a  party  visited  the  site  of  the 
city.  They  found  "one  dug  out  canoe,  a  bottle  gourd  of  whis- 
key, a  surveyors  chain  and  compass  and  a  grove  inhabited  by 
four  men  camping  in  tents." 

Low  hanging  trees  and  snags  in  the  bayou  made  progress 
slow  by  water.  Francis  B.  Lubbock,  one  of  the  earliest  and 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  29 

most  prominent  citizens,  who  was  later  Governor  of  Texas, 
"discovered  Houston,"  in  January,  1837.  The  little  steamer 
on  which  he  came  up  the  bayou  required  three  days  to  make 
the  trip  from  Harrisburg,  a  distance  of  12  miles  by  water. 
He  says :  ' '  The  slow  time  was  in  consequence  of  the  obstruc- 
tions we  were  obliged  to  remove  as  we  progressed.  We  had  to 
rig  what  were  called  Spanish  windlasses  on  the  shore,  to  heave 
the  logs  and  snags  out  of  our  way,  the  passengers  all  work- 
ing faithfully.  All  hands  on  board  would  get  out  on  the  shore, 
and  cutting  down  a  tree  would  make  a  windlass  by  boring 
holes  in  it  and  placing  it  upon  a  support  and  throwing  a 
bight  of  rope  around  it,  secure  one  end  to  a  tree  in  the  rear, 
and  the  other  to  the  snags  or  fallen  trees  in  the  water.  Then 
by  means  of  the  .capstan  bars  we  would  turn  the  improvised 
capstan  on  land  and  draw  from  the  track  of  the  steamer  the 
obstructions." 

The  saddest  part  of  it  was  that  even  then  the  passengers 
came  very  near  not  finding  the  city.  A  party  of  them  took  the 
yawl  to  try  and  find  the  landing  but  missed  it  and  passed  on 
until  they  stuck  in  the  brush  in  White  Oak  Bayou  and  then 
backed  down  until  they  found  wagon  wheels  and  footprints  in 
the  mud  bank  at  the  waters  edge  and  then  saw  the  stakes  driven 
in  the  ground  that  indicated  that  Houston  was  there. 

This  steamer  was  the  "Laura"  and  was  the  first  to  ever 
reach  the  wharfless  landing. 

The  Allen  Brothers  had  the  germ  of  faith.  It  could  not 
move  mountains  and 'hence  the  feature  of  beautiful  elevation 
in  the  advertisement  was  a  trifle  difficult  to  find,  but  it  could  and 
did  build  cities. 

The  original  plan  of  the  city  and  the  map  of  it  contem- 
plated only  62  blocks,  all  on  the  south  side  of  Buffalo  Bayou. 
Gail  Borden,  the  man  who  subsequently  discovered  or  invented 
condensed  milk,  and  T.  H:  Borden.  made  .the  survey  and  map 
in  1836.  The  streets  were  given  the  names  they  now  hold  except 
that  Austin  Street  was  then  Homer  Street  and  LaBranch 
Street  was  then  Milton  Street.  Homer  Street  had  its  name 
changed  within  a  short  time  in  honor  of  Stephen  F.  Austin 


30  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

and  Milton  Street  in  honor  of  Alcee  LaBranch  Charge  d'  Affairs 
from  the  United  States  and  the  first  minister  to  announce  the 
recognition  of  Texas  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  Epic 
poets  of  Greece  and  England  were  thus  forced  to  give  place  to 
American  heroes  and  statesmen. 

Another  map,  made  by  Girard,  of  the  Texas  Army,  is  now 
in  the  possession  of  John  S.  Stewart  of  Houston. 

On  the  original  map,  block  31,  the  present  site  of  the 
court  house,  was  set  aside  and  marked  court  house,  and  block 
34,  the  present  market  square,  was  marked  Congress  Square. 

John  Allen,  who  selected  the  site  of  Houston  immediately 
following  the  Battle  of  San  Jacinto,  called  the  street  now  tra- 
versed by  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Road,  Railroad  Street, 
saying,  "This  is  the  street  which  the  great  Texas  railroad  will 
traverse.  His  foresight  was  correct  and  his  prophecy  'came 
true,  but  he  died  before  the  first  locomotive  blew  its  whistle 
over  the  right  of  way.  His  death  occurred  in  1838. 

On  April  7,  1837,  the  townsite  was  enlarged  and  a  new 
map  was  drawn,  extending  one  tier  of  blocks  beyond  Rusk 
Street  on  the  south,  one  tier  beyond  Crawford  Street  on  the  east 
and  one  tier  beyond  Clay  Street  on  the  west.  The  square  west 
of  the  Rice  Hotel  square  on  Main  Street  was  originally  designat- 
ed as  Capitol  Square  but  when  the  Capitol  building  was  erected 
in  1837  it  occupied  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Rice  Hotel  and 
soon  to  be  occupied  by  the  new  18-story  Rice  Hotel. 

A  little  group  of  settlers,  among  them  the  promoters  of  the 
town,  settled  in  Houston  during  the  year  1836.  They  lived  in 
tents.  On  January  1,  1837,  the  city  was  still  one  of  tents 
although  Henry  Allen  had  a  small  log  house  and  several  small 
houses  were  in  course  of  erection.  Logs  were  being  hauled  in 
from  the  forest  for  a  hotel  on  Franklin  Street  at  the  corner 
of  Travis,  now  occupied  by  the  Southern  Pacific  building,  where 
the  old  Hutchins  House  stood  for  many  years.  Col.  Benjamin 
Fort  Smith  built  the  first  hotel.  He  had  been  Inspector  Gen- 
eral at  the  Battle  of  San  Jacinto.  All  lumber  was  them  sawed 
by  hand  and  cost  from  $150  to  $200  per  thousand  feet.  There 
was  a  saw  mill  at  H?rrisbarsj.  but  some  of  the  earliest  houses 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  31 

were  built  out  of  lumber  that  was  shipped  from  Maine  by  water. 

Most  of  those  who  came  to  the  new  town  stayed,  possibly 
because  it  was  practically  impossible  to  get  away.  The  forests 
that  surrounded  Houston  on  every  side  were  filled  with  abun- 
dance of  wild  game.  Bear,  deer,  antelope,  buffalo,  wild  turkeys  in 
great  flocks,  and  large  herds  of  wild  mustang  horses 
roamed  within  a  few  miles.  On  the  opposite  side  of  Buffalo 
Bayou  several  tribes  of  wild  Indians  were  accustomed  to  camp 
in  the  splendid  forest,  a  custom  which  they  kept  up  for  several 
years  after  the  founding  of  the  town. 

The  streets  were  broad  paths  cleared  by  the  axe,  and  bot- 
tomless with  mud  in  wet  weather.  There  were  no  sidewalks. 
The  tents  and  huts  clustered  on  the  banks  of  the  steam  or  a 
few  blocks  away.  The  town  was  still  without  a  hotel,  a  court 
house,  a  jail  or  a  church  in  December,  1836.  Even  the  saloons 
occupied  large  tents.  The  battle  of  San  Jacinto  had  been 
fought  and  won,  but  in  Houston  as  elsewhere  the  inhabitants 
were  without  money,  without  revenue,  without  credit  and 
without  many  of  the  most  ordinary  necessities  of  life.  Cane 
brakes  were  burnt  down  and  corn  planted  on  the  charred 
ground  brought  forth  good  crops.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  had 
slaves,  and  cotton  was  early  planted.  Harrisburg  was  still 
the  metropolis  because  it  had  a  saw  mill  and  its  saloons  were 
housed  in  wood  instead  of  canvas.  By  December,  1836,  the 
rivalry  between  the  two  places  was  keen,  but  Houston  was 
pulling  for  the  honor  of  being  selected  as  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment and  aspired  to  be  the  capital  of  the  new  nation  and  the 
city  destined  to  become  a  nest  of  sky-scrapers  and  the  most 
populous  city  of  Texas* was  fairly  launched.  One  somehow 
wishes  that  its  valiant  yankee  promoters  could  have  seen  a 
vision  of  even  the  Houston  of  today  with  bird  men  soaring  in 
aeroplanes  around  the  lofty  buildings  that  serrate  the  city's 
skyline  and  give  to  it  for  the  first  time  that  beautiful  elevation 
of  which  the  initial  advertisement  spoke.  • 

Under  the  Mexican  government,  a  short  time  before  the 
commencement  of  the  Texas  revolution  in  1833  there  had  been 
created  the  municipality  of  Harrisburg  as  a  political  subdivi- 


32  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

sion.  This  included  the  entire  district  of  which  Harris  county 
is  only  a  part.  For  a  short  time  the  island  of  Galveston  also 
formed  a  part  of  Harrisburg  County  as  the  municipality  was 
called  under  the  Republic  after  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence in  March,  1836,  and  continued  to  be  called  for  several 
years. 

When  Houston  was  founded  this  section  was  sprinkled 
with  settlers  in  all  directions.  A  Mr.  Knight  and  Mr.  Walter 
C.  White  at  the  time  of  Long's  expedition  in  1820  had  burnt 
off  a  canebrake  and  raised  a  crop  of  corn  on  the  San  Jacinto 
near  its  mouth,  but  subsequently  moved  to  Brazoria. 

John  Henry  Brown  in  an  article  in  the  Houston  Post  of 
December  17,  1891,  gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  first  settlers 
largely  from  information  from  Mary  J.  Briscoe,  of  Houston,  a 
daughter  of  the  John  B.  Harris  who  founded  Harrisburg.  He 
settled  there  in  1824,  laid  out  the  town  in  1826  and  built  the 
first  steam  saw  mill  in  Texas  for  which  he  received  as  a  bounty 
two  leagues  of  land.  He  was  a  merchant,  a  tanner  and  the 
owner  of  a  schooner  whose  name — "The  Rights  of  Man,"  reveals 
something  of  his  religious  and  political  views.  This 
schooner  plied  between  Harrisburg  and  New  Orleans.  In  1828, 
David,  a  brother  of  John  B.,  arrived  in  Harrisburg  and  in  1830 
William  P.  Harris  and  "Honest  Bob"  Wilson  arrived,  who 
were  followed  in  1832  by  Samuel  Harris,  a  fourth  brother,  all 
coming  from  Cayuga  County,  New  York. 

Mary  Jane  Harris,  a  daughter  of  the  first  settler,  married 
Captain  Andrew  Briscoe,  a  colleague  of  the  great  Mexican 
patriot,  Don  Lorenzo  De  Zavala,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  Houston.  Her  daughter,  Mrs.  Adele  B.  Looscan,  lives 
in  Houston. 

Perhaps  the  honor  of  being  the  first  settler  in  Houston 
should  go  to  a  Mrs.  Wilkins,  who,  with  her  two  daughters  and 
a  son-in-law,  Dr.  Phelps,  settled,  in  1822,  in  territory  now  within 
the  city  limits  of  Houston. 

Harrisburg  was  the  seat  of  justice  of  the  new  Republic 
from  March  22  to  April  13,  1836.  On  the  approach  of  the  Mex- 
ican Army  it  was  abandoned  and  Santa  Anna  put  it  to  the 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  33 

torch.  The  first  lone  star  flag  made  in  Texas  was  improvised 
at  Harrisburg  in  September,  1835,  by  a  Mrs.  Dobson  and  other 
ladies.  A  Miss  Troutman,  of  Georgia,  gave  a  lone  star  flag  to 
Captain  (later  Colonel)  William  Ward,  near  the  same  time. 

Following  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  the  First  Congress 
of  the  Republic  met  in  Columbia  and  on  December  15,  1836, 
selected  the  new  town  of  Houston  as  the  seat  of  government 
to  continue  until  1840.  The  seat  of  government  was  moved  to 
Houston  just  prior  to  May  1,  1837,  and  soon  after — an  event 
that  proved  to  be  even  more  important — the  county  seat  was 
moved  from  Harrisburg  to  Houston.  Since  that  time  Harris- 
burg  has  been  in  a  state  of  arrested  development,  a  sleepy  little 
town  on  the  bayou,  while  Houston  has  steadily  grown  until  its 
city  limits  have  been  thrust  into  the  very  heart  of  old  Harris- 
burg and  the  turning  basin  and  ship  channel  bid  fair  to  give 
back  to  that  town,  now  de  facto  a  part  of  Houston,  the  dignity 
and  prosperity  it  enjoyed  three  quarters  of  a  century  ago. 

Harris  County,  in  which  Houston  and  Harrisburg  are  now 
located  has  an  elevation  of  from  50  to  75  feet  above  sea  level. 
Its  surface  is  almost  level  with  an  almost  imperceptible  slope 
toward  the  south.  One-fifth  of  the  surface  is  slightly  undulat- 
ing. 

A  scientific  writer  in  an  early  newspaper,  who  appears  to 
know  what  he  is  talking  about,  says  that  the  geological  forma- 
tion is  past  tertiary  and  that  below  the  surface  there  is  a  layer 
of  clay  with  streaks  of  calcareous  nodules  varying  in  color 
from  white  to  gray  and  yellow  to  red.  In  the  northern  part 
of  the  county  below  the  clay  there  is  a  stratum  of  sand,  and 
in  the  southern  part  a  moderately  hard  calcareous  sandstone 
in  which  springs  originate.  Water  is  found  from  a  depth  of 
15  feet  upward  and  contains  small  quantities  of  lime,  magnesia, 
chloride  of  sodium,  and  other  minerals  with  a  trace  of  organic 
matter.  The  surface  soil  in  the  north  is  a  sandy  earth  and  in 
the  south  a  black  waxy  loam  enriched  with  decomposed  organic 
matter.  It  is  probable  that  there  are  large  deposits  of  oil  at  a 
considerable  depth  as  oil  has  been  found  on  nearly  all  sides  of 
the  county. 


34  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Most  of  the  stirring  events  of  early  Texas  history  center 
elsewhere  than  in  Houston,  although  the  actors  in  those  events 
were  often  residents  of  and  visitors  to  the  little  new  town  on 
the  bayou.  Where  these  events  relate  to  Texas  rather  than 
to  Houston  history  they  can  not  even  be  categoried.  San 
Jacinto  had  been  fought  before  Houston  was  founded,  and  the 
events  of  the  following  years  were  mainly  those  of  frontier 
growth  all  over  Texas  although  the  country  was  causing  one  of 
the  prettiest  diplomatic  webs  to  be  woven  in  the  history  of  the 
American  continent  and  England,  France,  Germany  and  other 
countries  soon  cast  covetous  eyes  upon  the  new  republic.  The 
important  years  for  the  new  town  were  from  the  middle  of  April, 
1837,  to  the  latter  part  of  1839,  during  which  time  it  was  the 
seat  of  government. 

The  years  1837  and  1838  were  the  fat  years  of  growth 
and  prosperity  for  Houston  and  the  year  1839  the  lean  year  of 
famine,  pestilence  and  backset  in  Houston  as  elsewhere. 

Government  and  the  administration  of  justice,  occupied 
much  of  the  time  of  the  settlers  in  their  isolated  forest  town 
and,  in  a  community  where  the  key  note  was  independence  and 
where  the  population  was  of  the  rough,  hardy,  self  reliant, 
courageous  and  opinionated  sort,  neither  government  nor  the 
administration  of  justice  was  easy,  Every  man  had 
infinite  confidence  in  his  own  judgment  and  was  always  ready 
to  back  his  opinion  with  pistol  or  bowie  knife  if  anybody 
doubted  its  correctness.  The  duello  was  still  an  institution  and 
quarrels  and  fights  among  the  prominent  citizens  were 
thoroughly  a  matter  of  course. 

The  army  and  the  legal  profession  and  the  government 
had  made  titles  super-abundant  and  one  could  not  fire  a  load 
of  buckshot  into  any  group  without  crippling  a  few  judges, 
colonels  and  majors  and  as  likely  as  not  a  general  or  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress  or  some  cabinet  dignitary. 

The  cooped  up  condition,  the  utter  lack  of  news  facilities 
and  outside  objects  of  interest,  the  sense  of  military  importance 
and  the  undeniable  fact  that  a  goodly  per  cent  of  the  popula- 
tion had  left  its  former  home  moved  by  other  motives  than 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  35 

undiluted  enthusiasm  for  Texas  and  that  another  portion  was 
far  better  at  a  fight  than  at  plowing  corn,  made  for  fractious- 
ness  and  trouble.  Government  was  largely  personal,  the  states- 
men all  quarrelled  with  each  other  outrageously  and  often 
without  adequate  cause  and  partisanship  ran  high.  All  offices, 
both  civil  and  military,  were  elective  and  there  was  an  active 
demand  for  rotation  in  office  so  that  everybody  got  honored 
with  a  few  titles  sooner  or  later.  The  multitude  of  personal 
difficulties  is  illustrated  in  the  following  story  by  Governor 
Lubbock  which  recounts  conditions  that  have  not  entirely 
ceased  in  Houston  even  at  this  day.  "An  occurrence  at  an 
early  day  shows  how  Houston  failed  to  get  a  carriage  factory 
and  lost  at  least  one  good  immigrant.  Charles  Hedenberg,  of 
the  firm  of  Hedenberg  &  Vedder,  commission  merchants,  had 
induced  an  uncle  of  his  to  come  out  from  New  Jersey  with 
the  view  of  establishing  a  carriage  manufactory.  Arriving  very 
early  in  the  morning  his  trunks  were  taken  to  the  business 
house.  About  ten  o'clock  that  day  Hedenberg  suggested  to 
his  uncle  that  the  Congress  of  the  Republic  was  in  session  and 
that  if  he  would  go  up  to  the  Capitol  he  might  be  entertained, 
and  after  a  while  they  would  go  to  the  house.  While  the 
Jersey  man  was  seated  in  the  Senate  Chamber  rapid  firing 
took  place  in  the  hall  of  the  building  which  caused  every  one 
to  rush  out  to  see  what  had  occurred.  The  uncle  was  just  in 
time  to  see  the  body  of  Senate  Clerk  Thompson  being  borne 
away  after  having  been  badly  shot  up  by  Senate  Clerk  Brashear. 
He  had  never  seen  a  man  shot  before  and  rushed  out  of  the 
building  going  down  Main  Street  on  the  west  side.  After 
walking  several  blocks  he  was  passing  the  Round  Tent  saloon 
when  a  soldier,  who  had  just  been  shot  by  a  man  named  Seevy, 
rushed  out  and  nearly  fell  upon  him.  Now  thoroughly 
frightened  he  dashed  across  to  the  other  side  of  the  street  and 
just  as  he  got  over  in  front  of  John  Carlos'  saloon,  a  man- 
rushed  out  of  the  saloon  door  with  his  bowels  protruding  from 
an  immense  gash  inflicted  on  him  by  the  bowie  knife  of  a 
discharged  soldier.  The  visitor  rushed  to  the  commission  store 
and  gasped  out  an  order  for  his  trunks  to  be  put  on  a  dray 


36  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

and  sent  to  the  boat  for  Galveston  at  once.  The  nephew  remon- 
strated, 'Why  Uncle,  you  have  not  had  time  to  look  at  the 
town.'  The  old  man  replied,  'Charley,  I  have  seen  all  I  ever 
want  to  of  Texas.  Get  my  trunks.'  ' 

Government,  as  has  been  pointed  out,  was  the  chief  concern 
of  the  Texans.  Harrisburg  County  was  created  by  the  General 
Council  at  San  Felice,  but  was  not  fully  organized  until  1837. 

Captain  Andrew  Briscoe,  elected  chief  justice  by  the  first 
Congress,  held 'elections  for  precinct  and  county  officers  who 
had  their  offices  at  the  county  seat  at  Harrisburg.  Those 
elected  were :  sheriff,  John  W.  Moore ;  coroner,  William  Little ; 
clerk  of  the  district  court,  James  S.  Holman;  clerk  of  the 
county  court,  Dewitt  Clinton  Harris.  By  the  middle  of  1837 
Houston  had  captured  the  county  seat  from  Harrisburg  and 
the  county  offices  and  most  of  the  officials  moved  there. 

The  first  court  house  and  jail,  necessitated  by  the  removal 
of  the  county  seat,  were  built  in  1837.  The  jail  was  a  log 
structure  with  a  kind  of  upright  log  palisade  as  a  part  of  it, 
but  the  new  court  house  was  a  two  story  frame  building.  They 
were  built  by  Dr.  Morris  S.  Birdsall,  the  contractor  with  the 
county.  The  course  of  law  did  not  wait  for  their  completion. 
The  first  instrument  in  writing  in  the  Harrisburg  or  Harris 
County  records  is  a  bond  for  title  from  Zadoc  Hubbard  to 
Lorenzo  Brown  to  make  good  and  sufficient  title  to  one-half  of 
lot  10,  block  21.  The  instrument  is  dated  February  22,  1837 
and  is  recorded  February  27.  The  site  is  that  of  the  store 
later  occupied  by  W.  D.  Cleveland. 

The  first  grand  jury,  which  met  in  the  shade  of  some  lopped 
off  branches  of  trees  on  court  house  square,  had  B.  F.  Smith 
as  foreman  and  the  following  members:  Edward  Ray,  B. 
Stencil,  Abraham  Roberts,  P.  W.  Rose,  William  Goodman,  M. 
H.  Bundic,  William  Burnett,  John  Goodman,  Sr.,  Freeman 
Wilkerson,  Gilbert  Brooks,  Thomas  Hancock,  Allen  Vince, 
John  Dunnam,  John  Earls,  Elijah  Henning,  Andrew  H.  Long 
and  James  House,  Sr. 

Three  indictments  were  brought  in  at  its  first  session :  one 
against  Whitney  Britton  for  assault  and  battery,  one  against 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  37 

John  T.  Beall  for  murder  and  a  third  against  James  Adams  for 
larceny.  The  results  of  the  trials  suggest  with  a  grim  sort  of 
humor  the  mental  attitude  of  the  people  toward  the  several 
classes  of  offences.  Whitney  Britton's  case  was  dismissed  as 
a  triviality,  the  petit  jury  decided  that  John  T.  Beall  had  done 
no  more  than  they  would  have  done  under  the  circumstances 
and  brought  in  a  verdict  of  justifiable  homicide,  but  when  the 
scoundrel  James  Adams,  who  had  stolen  property  instead  of 
battering  up  the  human  form  divine  or  taking  human  life, 
came  to  trial,  he  met  the  full  vigor  of  an  outraged  justice.  He 
was  found  guilty  of  theft,  was  ordered  to  make  restitution  to 
Lawrence  Ramey  of  $295,  and  the  notes  he  was  charged  with 
having  abstracted,  and  was  further  sentenced  to  get  39  lashes 
on  the  bare  back  and  be  branded  with  the  letter  "T"  in  the 
right  hand.  He  would  thus  carry,  graven  in  his  palm  the 
insignia  that  he  was  a  thief,  as  long  as  he  lived. 

The  39  lashes  were  to  be  laid  on  by  the  sheriff  in  a  public 
place  on  Friday,  March  31,  1837,  and  it  was  so  done. 

In  extenuation  of  the  high  value  attached  to  property 
and  the  low  value  set  on  life  it  should  be  remembered  that 
every  man  went  armed  and  was  supposed  to  be  able  to  take 
care  of  himself  and  that  the  citizens  were  living  in  an  almost 
unproductive  wilderness  where  poverty  was  attended  with 
great  hardships. 

The  cases  cited  above  were  tried  at  the  first  district  court 
held  in  Houston  which  was  presided  over  by  Hon.  Benjamin 
C.  Franklin. 

All  killers  did  not  escape  punishment  even  at  that  early 
day  however,  and  the  first  years  of  Harris  County  might  show 
a  better  record  for  legal  executions  for  homicide  than  the  last 
decade.  While  the  courts  were-  yet  young,  two  men  were  tried 
for  murder.  One,  a  gambler  named  Quick,  had  killed  a  man 
with  whom  he  was  gambling,  and  the  other,  named  Jones,  had 
killed  a  fellow  soldier,  Mandrid  Wood,  of  the  New  Orleans 
Grays.  Judge  J.  W.  Robinson,  who  had  been  lieutenant  gov- 
ernor under  the  provisional  government  in  1835-6,  was  on  the 
bench  and  overruled  all  motions  for  a  new  trial  and  thwarted 


38  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

all  efforts  for  delay  after  the  men  had  been  tried  and  convicted 
of  murder.  Everything  had  been  done  to  prevent  the  sentence 
and  it  was  finally  represented  to  the  court  that  the  jail  was 
very  insecure,  the  weather  quite  cold  and  the  men  forced  to 
wear  irons  for  greater  security  because  of  the  weakness  of 
the  palisade  jail.  The  judge  was  so  touched  by  the  recital 
that  he  pronounced  sentence  that  "the  prisoners,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  insecurity  of  the  jail,  the  extreme  cold  weather 
and  their  uncomfortable  situation,"  be  hung  on  the  Friday 
following,  which  was  done  in  a  clump  of  timber  that  long  bore 
the  name  of  hangman's  grove. 

During  1837,  Houston,  which  had  become  both  the  seat  of 
the  county  government  and  of  the  national  government  became 
ambitious  for  yet  more  government  as,  counting  citizens,  state 
officials  and  congressmen,  there  were  nearly  a  thousand  people 
in  her  environs,  and  so  early  in  June,  Congress  was  persuaded 
to  incorporate  Houston  as  a  city.  Organization  was  delayed 
several  weeks  which  gave  an  opportunity  for  mass  meetings 
and  protests  which  were  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  citizens. 

The  first  mayor  was  Francis  Moore,  Jr.,  who  did  not 
assume  office  until  the  first  Monday  in  January,  1838.  George 
W.  Lively  was  mayor  in  1839  and  George  H.  Bringhurst  was 
surveyor,  an  office  of  importance  where  land  titles  and  head 
rights  were  beginning  to  assume  importance.  John  D.  Andrews 
became  mayor  in  1841  and  in  1842  was  re-elected.  In  1843 
Francis  Moore  was  re-elected.  Horace  Baldwin  succeeded  him 
in  1844,  and  in  1845  W.  W.  Swain  assumed  the  office  which  he 
held  at  the  time  of  annexation. 

Among  the  names  of  early  aldermen  are  found  Captain 
R.  P.  Boyce,  J.  De  Cordova,  author  of  the  First  Handbook  of 
Texas,  and  Alexander  McLewen. 

Dr.  Moore,  the  first  mayor,  was  for  a  long  time  the  editor 
of  the  Telegraph,  he  and  his  partner,  Jacob  W.  Cruger,  having 
established  the  first  newspaper  in  Houston  by  the  removal, 
early  in  1837,  of  the  "Telegraph"  from  Columbia,  the  news- 
paper following  the  seat  of  Government  to  Houston.  Dr.  Moore 


Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life  39 

was  afterwards  state  geologist  and  held  many  prominent  posi- 
tions. 

The  first  marriage  license  signed  under  the  law  of 
the  Republic  was  issued  at  Houston  on  July  22,  1837,  signed 
by  DeWitt  C.  Harris,  county  clerk.  It  authorized  Hugh 
McCrory  to  wed  Miss  Mary  Smith.  The  ceremoney  was  per- 
formed the  following  day  by  Rev.  H.  Matthews,  a  Methodist 
minister.  Mr.  McCrory  died  within  a  few  months  and  in  1840, 
his  widow  married  Dr.  Anson  Jones,  afterwards  the  last  presi- 
dent of  the  Republic  of  Texas  and  perhaps  the  greatest  diplo- 
mat of  any  man  who  ever  held  that  office. 

Mrs.  Jones  survived  for  many  years,  dying  on  December 
31,  1907,  in  Houston,  and  holding  at  the  time  of  her  death  the 
office  of  President  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Republic  of  Texas. 

In  1905,  the  writer  visited  her  in  Houston  and  heard  from 
her  lips  many  stories  of  the  early  history  of  Texas.  Her  son, 
Judge  Anson  C.  Jones  was  county  judge  for  a  number  of 
years  and  many  relatives  of  note  still  live  in  Houston,  among 
them  Judge  Charles  E.  Ashe,  of  the  llth  district  court,  a 
grandson. 

Not  until  the  24th  of  March,  1838,  was  the  first  divorce 
granted  at  which  time  the  gallant  court  relieved  Susan 
Williams  from  the  matrimonial  fetters  that  chained  her  to 
John  Williams. 

The  court  house  was  the  center  of  city  life.  At  least  one 
of  the *f our  pages  of  the  early  editions  of  the  newspapers  in 
Houston  was  entirely  given  up  to  advertising  sheriffs  sales, 
and  other  matters  that  centered  around  the  court  house. 

On  August  6,  1844,  the  two  story  frame  court  house  was 
sold  to  make  room  for  what  was  described  as  a  ''palatial  struc- 
ture," the  second  of  the  seven  buildings  which  have  occupied 
couit  house  square.  All  of  them  have  been  palatial  structures 
however,  the  last,  recently  dedicated,  costing  about  a  half  million 
dollars. 

By  December  4,  1839,  there  were  400  suits  on  the  docket 
and  a  bell  had  been  placed  on  the  court  house  to  summons 
the  citizens.  Disputed  land  titles  caused  most  of  the  suits. 


40  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

All  kinds  of  frauds  were  practiced  by  sharpers  upon  strangers 
and  one  green  horn,  fresh  from  the  States,  purchased  in  good 
faith  a  head  right  to  land  alleged  to  have  been  issued  to  Peter 
Ourang  Outang.  The  papers  were  full  of  warnings  but  the 
sharp  practices  flourished. 


CHAPTER   II 

Early  Day  Amusements 


Hunting,  Fishing  and  Poker.  The  Jockey  Club  and  Horse 
Racing.  Notable  Dances,  the  San  Jacinto  Anniversary 
Ball  and  Description  of  Sam  Houston  and  Other  Partici- 
pants. A  Festival  Meal  at  Houston's  First  Hotel.  City's 
First  Theatres  and  their  Performances. 


Hunting,  fishing  and  fighting  were  occupations  so  ordinary 
among  the  early  inhabitants  of  Houston  that  one  does  not 
know  whether  to  rank  them  as  amusements  or  ordinary  mat- 
ters of  daily  routine. 

Worlds  of  fish  and  game  were  to  be  had  and  every  man 
was  an  expert  with  shot  gun  and  rifle.  Wild  turkey  and  prairie 
chickens  were  in  great  favor  as  game  birds  but  there  were  so 
many  varieties  of  the  feathered  tribe  in  the  forests,  including 
even  gaudy  paroquets,  that  the  great  French  naturalist  Audo- 
bon,  the  most  famous  of  ornithologists  was  a  visitor  to  Houston 
before  the  town  was  a  year  old.  An  unflattering  description 
of  the  town  in  his  diary  bears  the  date  of  May  4,  1837. 

The  Round  Tent  and  other  saloons,  mostly  under  canvas, 
provided  abundance  of  cheap  whiskey  and  furnished  a  con- 
gregating place  for  the  thirsty  and  the  fractious.  Poker, 
twenty  deck  poker,  faro,  stud  poker,  and  several  Mexican 
card  games  were  in  full  blast.  At  elections  the  candidates 
would  each  have  his  open  barrel  of  whiskey,  and  during  the 
campaign  to  open  up  a  whiskey  barrel  and  distribute  tobacco 
was  the  accepted  popular  method  of  electioneering. 

One  of  the  most  wholesome  influences  of  the  genesis  of 
Houston  was  that  of  Masonry.  Holland  Lodge  No.  1,  the 


42  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

mother  of  Texas  lodges  was  organized  in  1837.  And  by  the 
middle  of  1839  Temple  Lodge  No.  4,  was  in  existence. 

Masonry  preceded  the  building  of  churches  in  Houston 
for  as  late  as  October  14,  1839,  the  Morning  Star  complains 
editorially  that  "In  a  city  of  3,000  inhabitants  and  so  much 
wealth  there  is  no  place  for  public  worship  and  not  one  resi- 
dent minister."  There  had  been  preaching  services  prior  to 
that  time  however  and  even  congregations  organized. 

Nicholas  Nickleby,  which  was  running  as  a  serial  in 
English  papers  and  magazines  was  attracting  wide  attention 
and  being  eagerly  read  in  Texas,  in  1839. 

The  Jockey  Club  was  established  early  and  held  spring 
and  fall  meetings  at  which  racing  flourished.  Jack  and  Shelby 
Smith  and  General  Tom  Green  were  breeders  of  racing  stock 
and  were  known  as  sporting  men  although  the  most  of  the 
horses  that  contested  were  the  wiry  mustang  ponies.  At  one 
of  the  meets,  in  a  close  finish,  General  Houston  is  said  to  have 
cheered  one  of  Colonel  Green's  mustangs  on  to  victory  and  lean- 
ing over  the  railing  cried  as  the  mare  swept  into  the  stretch : 
"A  million  on  the  mare."  He  was  never  called  "Bet-you-a- 
million  Houston"  on  that  account  however,  and  so  the  title 
was  left  for  another  Texan  by  adoption,  John  W.  Gates. 

Dancing  was  in  vogue  and  one  of  the  most  memorable 
balls  that  was  ever  given  occurred  at  Houston  on  April  21, 
1837,  the  first  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto,  when 
General  Houston,  just  elected  president,  and  just  returned 
from  New  Orleans,  where  he  had  gone  after  the  battle  of  San 
Jacinto  that  his  wound  might  heal,  was  the  leading  figure. 

Other  distinguished  guests  were  present  in  Houston  and 
were  doubtless  present  at  that  festivity  which  was  held  just 
on  the  eve  of  the  Second  Session  of  the  Congress  of  the  Republic 
and  the  first  that  was  to  be  held  in  Houston. 

The  day  had  been  made  memorable  by  the  arrival  of  the 
first  sailing  vessel  that  ever  reached  Houston,  the  schooner 
"Rolla, "  which  had  taken  four  days  to  make  the  trip  from 
Harrisburg  and  had  brought  a  crowd  of  visitors  and  guests, 


Early  Day  Amusements  43 

and  by  an  Indian  war  dance  around  the  flag  pole  at  the  capi- 
tol. 

General  Houston  was  then  a  widower,  clothed  about  with 
all  the  romance  that  made  him  leave  his  young  wife  and  the 
governorship  of  Tennessee  for  some  mysterious  reason,  and 
newly  crowned  with  the  laurels  of  San  Jacinto.  He  had  a 
habit  of  whittling  out  of  bits  of  soft  pine,  little  hearts,  crosses 
and  other  emblems  and  giving  them  to  the  ladies  as  souvenirs. 
Some  of  these  whittled  souvenirs  are  still  cherished  in  Houston 
today  by  descendents  of  some  fair  belle  of  the  pioneer  days 
of  Texas. 

The  wierd  contrast  between  the  primitive,  crude  surround- 
ings and  the  fine  apparal  and  culture  of  many  of  the  partici- 
pants gave  to  the  occasion  a  genre  touch  that  has  perhaps 
never  been  surpassed.  The  scene  of  the  festivities  was  on  Main 
Street.  Houston  was  still  a  camp  in  the  woods,  its  dwellers 
living  mostly  in  white  tents  or  shanties  of  clapboards  and  pine 
poles.  A  large  two  story  building,  half  finished,  as  yet  without 
a  floor  and  without  anything  to  cover  the  rafters  between  the 
first  and  second  story  was  the  place  selected  for  the  dance. 
Pine  boughs,  vines,  creeping  plants  and  clustered  foliage  were 
used  to  conceal  the  nakedness  of  the  house  and  give  it  a  roof. 
This  building  stood  on  ground  now  occupied  by  the  new  wing 
of  the  First  National  Bank  and  that  was  for  many  years  occupied 
by  the  T.  W.  House  bank. 

The  following  account  of  the  ball  is  signed  "Texan,"  and 
appears  in  many  early  publications  including  the  Ladies'  Mes- 
senger, the  Post,  during  the  first  year  of  its  existance,  and,  in 
Governor  Lubbock's  memoirs.  It  was  written  by  Mrs.  Adele  B. 
Looscan,  the  daughter  of  Mary  Jane  Briscoe,  nee  Harris. 

"Chandeliers  were  suspended  from  the  beams  overhead 
but  they  resembled  the  glittering  ornaments  of  today  in  naught 
save  the  use  for  which  they  were  intended.  Made  of  wood, 
with  sockets  to  hold  the  sperm -candles  and  distributed  at 
regular  distances,  each  pendant  comprised  five  or  six  lights,  which 
shed  a  dim  radiance,  but  alas,  also  a  liberal  splattering  of 
sperm  upon  the  dancers  beneath.  The  floor  being  twenty  feet 


44  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

wide  by  fifty  feet  in  length,  could  easily  accommodate  several 
cotillions,  and  although  the  citizens  of  Houston  were  very  few, 
all  the  space  was  required  for  the  large  number  who  came 
from  Brazoria,  Columbia,  San  Felipe,  Harrisburg,  and  all  the 
adjacent  country.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  came  in  parties  on 
horseback  distances  of  fifty  and  sixty  miles,  accompanied  by 
men  servants  and  ladies'  maids,  who  had  in  charge  the  elegant 
ball  costumes  for  the  important  occasion.  From  Harrisburg 
they  came  in  large  row  boats,  that  mode  of  conveyance  being 
preferable  to  a  horseback  ride  through  the  thick  undergrowth, 
for  at  that  time  there  was  nothing  more  than  a  bridle  path  to 
guide  the  traveller  between  the  two  places. 

"General  Mosely  Baker,  one  of  Houston's  first  citizens 
was  living  with  his  wife  and  child  (now  Mrs.  Fannie  Darden) 
in  a  small  house  built  of  clapboards.  The  house  comprised  one 
large  room,  designed  to  serve  as  parlor,  bedroom  and  dining 
room,  and  a  small  shedroom  at  the  back.  The  floor,  or  rather 
the  lack  of  floor  in  the  large  apartment,  was  concealed  by  a 
carpet,  which  gave  an  air  of  comfort  contrasting  strangely 
with  the  surroundings. 

"As  the  time  for  going  to  the  ball  drew  near,  which  was 
as  soon  as  convenient  after  dark,  several  persons  assembled 
at  General  Baker's  for  the  purpose  of  going  together.  There 
were  General  Houston,  Frank  R.  Lubbock,  and  his  wife,  John 
Birdsall,  (soon  after  attorney-general)  and  Mary  Jane  Harris, 
(now  the  surviving  widow  of  Andrew  Bri  coe),  General  Houston 
was  Mrs.  Baker's  escort,  General  Baker  having  gone  to  see  that 
some  lady  friends  were  provided  for.  When  this  party 
approached  the  ball  room,  where  dancing  had  already  begun,  the 
music,  which  was  rendered  by  violin,  bass  viol  and  fife,  im- 
mediately struck  up  'Hail  to  the  Chief;'  the  dancers  withdrew 
to  each  side  of  the  hall,  and  the  whole  party,  General  Houston 
and  Mrs.  Baker  leading,  and  maids  bringing  up  the  rear, 
marched  to  the  upper  end  of  .the  room.  Having  here  laid  aside 
wraps  and  exchanged  black  slippers  for  white  ones,  for  there 
was  no  dressing  room,  they  were  ready  to  join  in  the  dance, 
which  was  soon  resumed.  A  new  cotillion  was  formed  by 


Early  Day  Amusements  45 

the  party  which  had  just  entered.  General  Houston  and  Mrs. 
Baker  were  partners,  Mrs.  Lubbock  and  Mr.  George  Cruger, 
and  Mr.  Lubbock  and  Miss  Harris.  Then  were  the  solemn 
figures  of  the  stately  cotillion  executed  with  care  and  pre- 
cision, the  grave  balancing  steps,  the  dos  a  dos,  and  others 
to  test  the  nimbleness  and  grace  of  dancers. 

"General  Houston  had  just  returned  from  New  Orleans, 
where  he  had  been  since  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  for  the 
purpose  of  having  his  wound  treated.  Being  the  president- 
elect, he  was,  of  course,  the  hero  of  the  day,  and  his  dress  on 
this  occasion  was  unique  and  somewhat  striking.  His  ruffled 
shirt,  scarlet  cassimere  waistcoat  and  suit  of  black  silk  velvet, 
corded  with  gold,  was  admirably  adapted  to  set  off  his  fine, 
tall  figure;  his  boots,  with  sho'it  red  tops,  were  laced  and  folded 
down  in  such  a  way  as  to  reach  but  little  above  the  ankles,  and 
were  finished  at  the  heels  with  silver  spurs.  The  spurs  were, 
of  course,  quite  a  useless  adornment,  but  they  were  in  those 
days  so  commonly  worn  as  to  seem  almost  a  part  of  the  boots. 
The  weakness  of  General  Houston's  ankle,  resulting  from  the 
wound  he  had  received  in  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto,  was  his 
reason  for  substituting  boots  for  the  slippers  then  universally 
worn  by  the  gentlemen  for  dancing. 

"Mrs.  Baker's  dress  of  white  satin,  with  black  lace  over- 
dress, corresponded  in  elegance  with  that  of  her  escort,  and 
the  dresses  of  most  of  the  other  ladies  were  likewise  rich  and 
tasteful.  Some  wore  white  mull  with  satin  trimmings ;  others 
were  dressed  in  white  and  colored  satins,  but  naturally  in  so 
large  an  assembly,  gathered  from  so  many  different  places, 
there  was  a  great  variety  in  the  quality  of  the  costumes  All, 
however,  wore  their  dresses  short,  cut  low  in  the  neck,  sleeves 
generally  short,  and  all  wore  ornaments  of  flowers  or  feathers 
in  their  hair,  some  flowers  of  Mexican  manufacture,  being  par- 
ticularly noticeable  on  account  of  their  beauty  and  rarity. 

"At  about  midnight  the  signal  for  supper  was  given,  and 
the  dancers  marched  over  to  the  hotel  of  Mr.  Ben  Fort  Smith, 
which  stood  near  the  middle  of  the  block,  later  for  so  long  a 
time  occupied  by  the  Hutchins  House.  This  building  consisted 


46  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  two  very  large  rooms,  built  of  pine  poles,  laid  up  like  a  log 
house,  with  a  long  shed  extending  the  full  length  of  the  rooms. 
Under  this  shed,  quite  innocent  of  floor  or  carpet,  the  supper 
was  spread ;  the  tempting  turkeys,  venison,  cakes  and  other 
viands  displayed  in  rich  profusion ;  the  excellent  coffee  and 
sparkling  wines  invited  all  to  partake  freely,  and  soon  the 
witty  toast  and  hearty  laugh  went  round. 

"Returning  to  the  ball  room,  dancing  was  resumed  with 
renewed  zest,  and  continued  until  the  energy  of  the  musicians 
began  to  flag,  and  the  prompter  failed  to  call  out  the  figures 
with  his  accustomed  gusto.  Then  the  cotillion  gave  place  to 
the  time  honored  Virginia  Reel  and  by  the  time  each  couple  had 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  'going  down  the  middle,'  daylight  began 
to  dawn." 

The  above  description  was  written  some  years  after  the 
event,  but  has  reproduced  its  quaintness,  dignity  and  strange 
charm  with  great  effect  and  contains  vastly  more  of  human 
interest  than  the  work  of  the  average  society  editor  in  writing 
up  latter-day  festivities. 

Even  that  memorable  ball,  however,  was  not  permitted 
to  be  without  a  reminder  that  Houston  was  on  the  frontier. 
Among  the  guests  present  were  the  Misses  Cooper,  and  while  the 
dance  was  in  progress  news  came  that  their  brother  had  been 
killed  by  Indians  on  the  Colorado  River. 

A  little  over  a  year  later,  on  May  21,  1838,  there  was  a 
grand  ball  at  the  Jockey  Club,  at  which  we  are  told  the  ladies' 
tickets  were  printed  on  white  satin  and  Mrs.  Briscoe  danced 
successively  with  Generals  Sam  Houston,  Albert  Sidney  John- 
son and  Sidney  Sherman. 

Before  Houston  was  a  year  old  it  had  a  theatre  and  before 
it  was  three  years  old  it  had  two.  The  first  threatre  was  on 
the  site  now  occupied  by  Henke's  store  between  Louisiana  and 
Milam  Streets  on  Congress  Avenue.  One  of  the  early  plays 
was  "The  Dumb  Girl  of  Genoa,"  wrhich  was  played  so  badly 
that  one  of  the  actors  by  the  name  of  Carlos  was  hung  in  effigy 
en  the  limb  of  a  large  pine  tree  in  front  of  the  hall. 

Henry  Corri  was  the  manager  of  a  company  that  came 


Early  Day  Amusements  47 

from  New  Orleans  to  Houston  in  1838.  It  played  the  "School 
for  Scandal,"  and  other  plays.  The  newspapers  at  that  remote 
date  were  cruel  enough  to  sometimes  criticise  plays  harshly 
and*  not  give  mere  press  agent  notices  and  boasts  accord- 
ing to  the  prevalent  custom  now.  When  it  was  rumored 
that  one  of  the  actors  had  been  bitten  by  a  mad  dog  the  Morn- 
ing Star  said  the  report  was  too  good  to  be  true,  but  suggested 
that  in  such  case  the  company  might  produce  Hamlet,  King 
Lear  or  Othello  so  as  to  give  room  for  his  newly  acquired  ability 
in  madness.  The  press  agent  sometimes  got  in  his  work  how- 
ever in  thoroughly  approved  style  as  witness  the  following 
from  the  Morning  Star:  "Engagement  of  April  29,  1839. 
Unprecedented!  Unparallelled !  Unheard  of  Attractions!!!! 
First  night  of  the  'Ensanguined  Shirt.'  First  appearance  of 
High  P.  Ranter,  who  is  engaged  for  six  nights  only  and  can 
not  possibly  be  re-engaged  on  account  of  sickness  in  the  family 
(who  was  sick  or  the  nature  of  the  illness  does  not  appear) 
First  appearance  of  Miss  F.  Ranter  since  her  recovery  from  the 
whooping  cough.  First  night  of  the  real  earthquake!  Grand 
Fancy  Dress  Breakdown  on  a  Cellar  Door  by  Miss  S.  Swipes. 
This  piece  has  been  got  up  without  regard  to  expense,  weather 
or  anything  else.  An  amount  of  property  has  been  invested 
in  properties  which  frightens  the  manager  and  will  astonish 
the  public.  Among  other  things  which  have  been  secured  espec- 
ially for  this  piece  are  400  streaks  of  lightning  with  thunder 
to  match  and  300  alligator  skin  shields  with  brass  knuckles  and 
knobs." 

The  press  agent  apparently  had  not,  like  Miss  Ranter, 
recovered  from  the  whooping  cough,  but  the  appetite  for  amuse- 
ments must  be  jaded  indeed  that  does  not  respond  with  a 
gustatory  quiver  to  the  delights  here  promised. 

Edwin  Booth  and  other  great  actors  are  said  to  have  visited 
Houston  at  an  early  date  and  with  dancing,  horse-back 
riding  and  racing  and  "swopping,"  whittling,  romancing  in 
Leatherstocking  wise  of  Mexicans  and  "Injins,"  and  the  delights 
of  the  theatre  and  of  electing  everybody  to  office,  times  were  not 
hopelessly  dull  in  the  Houston  of  the  days  of  the  Republic. 


Sam  Houston  and  the  Cherokees.  An  Indian  Dance.  Letters 
from  Chiefs  John  Jolly  and  Bowles.  Houston's  Indian 
Talk.  Fate  of  Cherokees  and  Comanches. 


Untouched  by  the  stain  of  blood  shed  in  Indian  warfare, 
Houston  stands  almost  isolated  among  the  cities  of  Texas.  No 
savage  massacre  ever  occurred  in  its  environs  and  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  town  were  never  in  the  frontier  days  startled  by 
the  blood  curdling  warhoop.  Yet  Houston,  especially  that 
part  now  known  as  the  fifth  ward,  was  a  favorite  camping  ground 
of  the  Indians  and  the  complete  immunity  from  attack  was 
perhaps  due  first  of  all  to  the  influence  of  Sam  Houston  and 
second  to  the  fact  that  Houston  occupied  a  place  near  the 
center  of  the  several  settlements. 

Sam  Houston,  be  it  remembered,  was  an  Indian  chief,  an 
•adopted  member  of  the  Cherokee  nation.  He  had  won  his  first 
wounds  and  his  earliest  laurels  in  bloody  Indian  warfare,  but 
he  had  also  been  a  member  of  the  Indian  tribes,  had  lived  in 
the  forests  and  adopted  their  customs  and  spoke  their  tongue. 
He  had  been  later  a  commissioner  for  their  interests  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  and  to  this  day  there  exists  in  Houston  the  com- 
mission or  passport  given  to  "General  Sam  Houston"  by  the 
United  States  Government  in  which  he  is  commended  to  all 
Indian  tribes.  That  was  before  he  came  to  Texas  but  even  as 
president  of  the  new  nation  he  never  forgot  his  friendship  for 
the  Indians  and  his  policy  was  always  one  of  justice  and  con- 
ciliation to  all  the  tribes  and  especially  to  the  Cherokees. 

Early  in  May,  1837,  a  day  or  two  after  the  opening  of  the 
Second  Congress  and  within  a  few  days  of  the  time  when 


Houston  and  the  Red  Men  49 

General  Houston,  as  president  elect,  arrived  in  the  city  named 
in.  his  honor,  we  find  him  in  conference  with  a  number  of 
Indians  at  Houston.  The  interview  is  thus  reported  in  the 
Philadelphia  Morning  Chronicle  of  that  time,  by  its  Houston 
correspondent:  ''Several  tribes  of  Indians  being  encamped  in 
the  splendid  forest  which  covers  the  udulating  ground  on  the 
opposite  side  of  Buffalo  Bayou,  where  the  city  is  situated,  a  '  big 
talk'  was  arranged  with  the  president,  General  Sam  Houston, 
and  the  cabinet  of  Texas,  at  which  Mr.  Crawford  (th.1  special 
representative  of  the  British  Government)  was  invited  to  be 
present. 

"The  'talk'  was  held  in  the  White  House  of  Texas,  General 
Houston's  residence,  then  a  log  cabin  consisting  of  a  passage 
or  hall  open  at  both  ends,  and  a  room  of  very  moderate  dimen- 
sions on  each  end. 

"On  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  (April 
21st,  1837)  a  lofty  flagstaff  had  been  erected  on  Main  street, 
and  on  this  occasion  a  splendid  silk  flag  of  the  new  Republic 
was  for  the  first  time  displayed  from  it.  Around  this  flag  sev- 
eral hundred  Indians  and  squaws  danced  a  grand  war  dance. 
They  began  moving  around  the  center  like  so  many  radii,  as  is 
done  in  the  flower  dance  when  represented  on  the  stage,  accom- 
panying the  movement  in  a  dull  and  monotonous  sort  of  music 
of  their  own  voices,  which  became  quicker  and  quicker  until 
they  got  into  a  very  rapid  motion  with  occasional  shouts  and 
yells,  and  then  all  at  once  stopped  and  suddenly  dispersed. 

"After  this  the  chiefs  adjourned  to  the  'talk.'  These  con- 
sisted of  some  six  elderly  and  very  sedate,  grave  gentlemen, 
who  were  seated  around  a  table  and  communicated  through  an 
interpreter.  The  latter  appeared  a  very  intelligent,  middle- 
aged  man,  and  seemed  to  possess  the  implicit  confidence  of 
the  chiefs. 

"General  Houston  acquitted  himself  with  his  usual  tact 
on  such  occasions,  and  aroused  a  real  enthusiasm  by  his  'talk' 
to  the  red  men.  But  nothing  can  be  done  towards  treating 
with  Indians  without  presents,  so  next  comes  that  most  impor- 
tant part  of  the  whole  ceremony. 


50  History  of  Houston.  Texas 

"In  the  afternoon  the  presents  were  delivered  and  instant 
distribution  began,  each  carrying  away  his  share.  Tobacco 
seemed,  of  all  the  articles  they  received,  to  be  the  most 
esteemed.  Drunkenness  then  began,  and  at  last  General 
Houston  had  to  send  around  to  the  liquor  stores  to  request 
.  that  no  more  whiskey  be  sold,  which  had  the  effect  of  inducing 
them  quietly  to  retire  to  their  camp,  but  the  woods  rang  nearly 
all  night  with  their  yells." 

Some  of  these  Indians  were  wild  Comanches  from  the  West 
and  on  their  way  back  home  they  killed  and  scalped  several 
whites.  Not  only  Mr.  Crawford,  an  agent  of  the  British  min- 
ister to  Mexico  who  had  come  on  a  secret  mission,  but  prob- 
ably also  Alcee  La  Branche,  the  United  States  Charge  d'affaires, 
and  R.  J.  Walker  of  Mississippi,  the  first  mover  of  Texas 
independence  in  the  United  States  Senate,  saw  that  Indian  war 
dance,  for  both  were  in  Houston  at  the  time. 

Among  General  Houston's  private  letters  the  writer  found 
several  documents  of  great  interest  including  a  letter  from 
John  Jolly,  chief  of  Houston's  own  tribe  of  Cherokees,  a 
communication  from  Chief  Bowles,  the  head  of  the  Texas  Cher- 
okees and  addressed  to  "All  my  White  Friends,"  and  one.  of 
Houston's  famous  Indian  talks  in  his  own  handwriting  and 
with  his  own  signature  and  written  in  the  stately  form  of  a 
ceremonial  state  paper.  As  the  two  latter  throw  direct  light 
on  Houston's  methods  of  dealing  with  the  Indians  and  Ins  atti- 
tude toward  them,  and  as  they  have  never,  so  far  as  is  known, 
been  published,  they  are  here  reproduced  from  the  originals  in 
the  possession  of  Hon.  Frank  Williams,  General  Houston's 
grandson  in  this  city.  This  is  an  extract  from  the  John  Jolly 
letter : 

"Mouth  of  the  Illinoie, 

27  March,  1838. 

' '  Dear  Friend  : 

"I  wish  you  would  write  and  eive  me  all  the  news  and 
the  prospects  of  your  country  and  what  disposition  your  gov- 
ernment will  make  towards  the  Red  People,  and  if  the  Chero- 


Houston  and  the  Red  Men  51 

kees  will  have  a  country  set  apart  for  them  and  be  supported 
in  their  rights  by  your  government. 

Your  friend, 
(Signed)  John  Jolly." 

The  "Indian  Talk"  is  dated  October,  1838,  and  is  typical 
of  General  Houston's   methods.     In   structure   and   theme   it 
smacks  of  the  Old  Testament.     Here  is  the  full  text  of  the 
talk: 
"My  Brothers: 

"There  is  much  talk  of  war.  It  is  useless.  There  is  no 
sense  in  it.  I  know  that  my  brothers,  the  Alabamos  and  Coosat- 
ties,  will  not  deceive  me.  A  few  bad  men  may  have  gone  from 
amongst  you  and  been  killed  with  the  enemy.  This  shall  not 
destroy  your  band.  Remember  the  words  which  I  have  spokrui 
to  you. 

"The  little  chiefs  of  the  Texas  nation  shall  not  hurt  you. 
My  words  have  been  spoken  and  the  winds  shall  not  scatter 
them.  Remember  me  and  be  happy  with  your  women  and 
children.  Winter  is  coming  and  cold  weather  and  you  may 
be  unhappy  unless  with  your  women  and  children.  Stay  with 
them  until  the  spring  comes  and  you  shall  receive  a  talk  from 
the  chief  of  this  nation.  You  must  not  take  up  the  tomahawk. 
Nor  will  I  allow  other  men  to  raise  it  against  you. 

"I  send  to  you  wise  men  to  give  you  counsel.  Listen  to 
them  and  walk  in  the  path  they  direct.  Tell  your  young  men 
to  stay  at  home  that  they  may  not  bring  your  nation  into 
trouble.  Old  men  speak  wisdom  and  young  men  should  pur- 
sue their  counsel. 

"He  that  stops  his  ears  against  instruction  is  a  fool  and 
the  wise  men  of  his  nation  should  punish  him. 

"There  is  a  light  from  the  countenance  of  the  Great 
spirit  upon  the  good  man  when  he  walketh  in  the  straight 
path.  But  brush  and  darkness  falleth  in  the  way  of  him  that 
walketh  the  path  of  crookedness. 

(Signed)  Sam  Houston." 

The  Texas  Indians  consisted  of  the  wild  Indians,  the  most 
warlike  of  which  were  the  Comanches,  yet  comprising  a  score 


52  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  other  tribes,  and  the  semi-civilized  Indians  or  the  Cherokeos 
and  12  associate  tribes  who  had  crossed  the  Texas  border  and 
occupied  the  territory  lying  north  of  the  San  Antonio  road 
and  the  Neches  and  west  of  Sabine  and  Angelina.  These  Cher- 
okees  claimed  the  land  they  occupied.  The  Consultation  of  San 
Felipe,  in  1835,  recognized  these  claims  and  A  resolution  was 
signed  by  the  entire  body  to  secure  the  Cherokees  in  these 
rights  and  to  have  their  boundaries  established. 

General  Houston,  Col.  John  Forbes  and  others  as  commis- 
sioners met  the  Cherokee  chiefs,  Bowles,  Big  Mush  and  others, 
at  the  Cherokee  village  on  February  23,  1833,  and  entered  into 
a  boundary  treaty  with  them.  This  was  never  ratified  by  the 
Texans.  The  Cherokees  felt  that  they  had  been  treated  in 
bad  faith  and  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  Mexicans 
which  the  Texans  discovered  and  this  ultimately  led  to  the 
expulsion  of  the  Cherokees,  the  killing  of  Bowles  and  the  driving 
of  4,000  Indians  from  the  border.  The  Texans  showing  perhaps 
fully  as  much  cruelty,  treachery  and  bad  faith  as  the  Indians. 

One  of  Houston's  last  acts  as  president  had  been  to  instruct 
Colonel  Alexander  Horton  to  survey  this  boundary.  This  was 
in  1838  and  the  work  was  done  at  least  in  part. 

President  Lamar  distrusted  the  Cherokees  and  all  Indians 
and  his  policy  was  one  of  warfare,  a  policy  that  appealed  far 
more  to  the  fighting  Texans  than  the  William  Penn  policy  of 
peace  and  equity  pursued  by  Houston.  Many  land  speculators 
coveted  the  Cherokee  lands  which  Houston  tried  to  save  for  the 
state  after  the  Indians  had  been  driven  out. 

There  were  atrocities  sufficient  to  justify  the  whites  and 
Indians  alike  in  feeling  that  the  other  side  was  dangerous  and 
treacherous  and  the  war  of  extermination  was  taken  up  in 
earnest  after  Houston  left  the  presidency  for  the  first  time, 
with  bloody  results  on  both  sides.  When  a  short  time  later 
the  Comanche  chiefs  were  massacred  at  San  Antonio  in  the 
pocket  of  Chief  Muke-warrah  was  found  a  copy  of  Houston's 
treaty  of  1838. 

The   only   part  played   by  the   City   of  Houston  in  the 


Houston  and  the  Red  Men  53 

Indian  wars  was  in  furnishing  troops,  the  Milam  Guards  par- 
ticipating in  more  than  one  hard  campaign. 

The  general  sentiment  of  nearly  every  early  Texan  was 
that  the  only  good  Indian  or  good  Mexican  was  a  dead  one, 
and  they  reformed  them  at  every  opportunity.  These  con- 
versions were  lasting.  Save  those  negotiations  that  were  con- 
ducted from  Houston  as  the  capital  of  the  Republic  from  the 
spring  of  1837  to  the  fall  of  1839,  the  Indian  history  of  blood 
and  battle  belongs  to  the  history  of  Texas  and  not  to  that  of 
Houston. 


CHAPTER  IV 
Capital  Days  and  Annexation 


Houston  Chosen  as  Capital  City  of  New  Nation.  Erection  of 
Capitol  Building.  First  Newspaper.  British  Representa- 
tive, present  at  Sam  Houston 's  Inaugural  Address.  Second 
Congress  Meets  in  Houston — Its  Activities.  Visit  of 
Admiral  Baudin  of  France.  Mirabeau  B.  Lamar  and  His 
Policies  as  President.  England's  Refusal  to  Recognize 
Independence.  Slaves  in  Houston.  Removal  of  Capital 
to  Austin.  Causes  of  Annexation.  The  Vote  in  Harris 
County. 


John  Allen's  trump  card  in  founding  Houston  was  that 
he  intended  to  make  it  the  capital  of  the  Republic  of  Texas. 
It  would  seem  a  large  ambition  but  the  Allen  brothers  not 
only  announced  this  as  a  purpose  but  carried  it  out  within  a 
year  from  the  time  the  deed  was  recorded  for  the  site  on  which 
the  city  was  to  stand. 

They  had  to  catch  the  capital  on  the  wing,  as  it  were,  for 
it  seemed  to  be  very  fugacious  in  disposition.  Santa  Anna 
had  gotten  the  capital  into  the  habit  of  jumping  and  it  had 
never  gotten  over  the  habit.  San  Felipe  de  Austin,  Washing- 
ton, Harrisburg,  Galveston,  Velasco,  and  Columbia  had  all 
enjoyed  the  fleeting  honor. 

The  first  Congress  of  the  Republic,  on  December  15,  1836, 
selected  the  new  town  of  Houston  as  the  seat  of  government. 
It  was  intended  that  it  should  remain  here  until  1840,  but  it 
only  lasted  until  the  fall  of  1839. 

The  capitol  building  was  to  be  erected  under  the  super- 
vision of  Col.  Thomas  W.  Ward  and  was  to  contain  22 
rooms.  He  commenced  it  in  April,  1837  and  in  14  days  had  it 


Capital  Days  and  Annexation  55 

ready  for  occupancy  making  a  'record  job  as  a  contractor  and 
architect. 

About  the  first  of  May,  the  Congress  arrived  and  the  second 
session  of  Congress  of  the  Republic  was  held  in  Houston.  Gen- 
eral Houston  made  a  brilliant  inaugural  address  and  the  town 
was  filled  with  visitors.  The  site  of  the  capitol  building  was 
that  of  the  Rice  Hotel  and  was  then  far  out  on  the  prairie. 

With  the  capital  came,  as  has  been  noted,  the  Telegraph 
from  Columbia,  and  the  Morning  Star  and  the  Intelligencer 
soon  followed  suit.  Houston  was  provided  from  the  beginning 
with  newspapers  enough  to  represent  the  several  dissonant 
views  of  the  ambitious  political  experts  and  statesmen  who 
controlled  her  destiny. 

General  Houston's  office  was  a  small  log  house  on  Frank- 
lin Street  and  his  residence  a  clapboard  house  of  two  rooms 
built  for  him  by  Captain  R.  P.  Boyce,  another  noted  contractor 
and  builder  of  the  day. 

The  recognition  of  the  independence  of  Texas  by  the 
United  States,  news  of  which  had  'recently  arrived ;  the  unsat- 
isfactory condition  of  the  finances  of  the  land  law ;  the  informa- 
tion that  Northern  Indians  had  visited  Matamoras  and  offered 
Mexico  3,000  warriors  if  it  would  resume  the  war;  praise  for 
the  army  and  its  general,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston ;  the  need 
of  a  navy ;  and  the  resources  of  Texas  and  her  ability  to  main- 
tain her  independence ;  were  emphasized  in  the  inaugural 
address. 

Perhaps  in  deference  to  Mr.  Crawford,  the  British  rep- 
resentative, who  occupied  an  honored  position  in  the  hall,  the 
president  commented  on  the  iniquity  of  the  African  slave 
trade  and  its  prohibition  by  Texas. 

In  the  session  that  followed,  the  government  of  the  republic 
and  its  various  departments  were  organized  and  their  power 
defined,  a  general  land  office  was  established,  the  public  debt 
was  consolidated  and  funded,  and  all  the  islands  of  the  Repub- 
lic, including  Galveston,  were  offered  for  sale.  The  western 
boundary  of  the  Republic  was  fixed  definitely  at  the  Rio 
Grande  and  the  Cordova  rebellion  of  Mexicans  and  Indians 


56  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

was  suppressed.  The  Texas  Railroad  Navigation  and  Banking 
Company  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $5,000,000  but 
never  went  into  existence  because  of  the  inability  to  pay  into 
the  treasury  $25,000  in  gold  or  silver. 

Houston  pursued  a  policy  of  peaceful  negotiations  with  the 
Indians  wherever  possible  and  of  diplomatic  handling  of  nego- 
tiations to  secure  recognition  from  foreign  countries.  A  com- 
mercial treaty  with  England  was  announced  on  January  4, 
1838,  by  General  Henderson,  who  had  gone  to  England  and 
France,  in  1837,  as  Envoy  Extraordinary  with  powers  pleni- 
potentiary. 

M.  de  Saligny,  as  the  representative  of  the  French  govern- 
ment, visited  Houston  in  the  spring  of  1838,  and  on  May  13, 
of  that  year  Admiral  Baudin  with  a  French  fleet,  stopped  at 
the  ports  of  Galveston  and  Velasco.  At  Galveston,  Baudin 
returned  the  salute  gun  for  gun  until  22  guns,  the  national 
salute,  had  been  fired.  The  Admiral  visited  Houston  and  was 
received  with  great  ceremonies  and  it  was  on  his  report  that 
France  soon  after  acknowledged  by  treaty  the  new  Republic. 

Mirabeau  B.  Lamar,  himself  a  hero  of  San  Jacinto  and  a 
man  of  brilliant  personal  traits  and  no  mean  degree  of  states- 
manship, succeeded  Houston  as  president,  and  was  installed 
in  office  in  December,  1838.  lie  was  an  anti-annexationist  and 
favored  close  relationships  with  Great  Britian.  The  failure 
of  the  United  States  to  grant  annexation  when  it  was  first 
sought  had  roused  the  pride  of  Texas  and  thenceforth  the 
annexationists  had  to  fight  to  a  certain  extent  under  cover.  This 
pride  was  so  strong  that  within  two  years'  time  Texas  ceased  all 
attempts  to  secure  recognition  and  from  then  on  the  overtures 
came  from  the  United  States.  Lamar,  in  his  first  annual  mes- 
sage, said,  that  "To  Great  Britian  the  independence  of  Texas 
could  not  be  an  indifferent  event.1' 

Lamar  favored  pressing  the  war  against  Mexico  and  a 
drastic  policy  toward  the  Indians.  Texas  was  in  a  position 
where  Mexico  could  not  successfully  attack  her  and  could  not 
hope  to  regain  her  lost  province  but  Texas  was  still  less  in  con- 
dition to  successfully  attack  Mexico.  Under  Lamar  the 


Capital  Days  and  Annexation  57 

Comanches  were  severely  punished  and  the  Cherokees  were 
expelled  from  the  state. 

By  an  act  approved  January  4,  1839,  actual  settlers  com- 
ing to  Texas,  under  appropriate  conditions,  were  to  receive 
grants  of  640  acres  each.  This  offer  was  to  hold  until  January 
1,  1840.  It  encouraged  imigration  to  Houston  as  well  as  else- 
where in  Texas. 

England  refused  to  acknowledge  Texas'  independence  in 
1839,  owing  somewhat  to  0 'Council's  attack  on  Texas  as  a 
country  where  slavery  was  permitted.  This  inflamed  sentiment 
in  Texas  against  England  and  the  Houston  papers  fulminated 
against  O'Connell.  The  Morning  Star  said  editorially:  "We 
shall  always  oppose  any  foreign  protection  or  assistance  that 
may  be  predicated  upon  the  slightest  interference  with  our 
domestic  institutions  as  they  now  are." 

By  an  ordinance  of  April  12,  1839,  passed  by  the  city 
council  of  Houston,  slaves  found  on  the  streets  after  8  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  were  to  receive  from  10  to  30  lashes.  No  free 
negroes  were  allowed  to  live  in  Houston.  The  government 
passed  rigid  laws  forbidding  any  intermarriage  between  white 
people  and  those  of  African  descent,  a  law  which  was  especially 
praised  by  the  British  consul  to  Texas,  Mr.  Ikin,  in  a  booklet 
called  "Texas,"  published  in  London  in  1841,  in  which  the 
purity  of  the  Anglo  Saxon  race  is  contrasted  with  that  of  the 
Latin  races  which  have  become  mongrelized  in  America  by 
intermarriage  with  negroes  and  Indians. 

On  September  25,  1839,  Marshal  Soult  for  France,  signed 
with  Mr.  Henderson  the  treaty  of  amity,  navigation  and  com- 
merce, Marshal  Soult,  who  was  also  Duke  of  Dalmatia,  saying 
he  was  proud  to  be  the  European  god-father  of  the  new  Repub- 
lic. 

This  was  the  last  event  of  international  importance  that 
occurred  while  the  capital  remained  in  Houston  for  in  the 
fall  of  1839  the  archives  were  loaded  on  thirty  wagons  and 
removed  to  Austin,  the  new  capital.  Houston  was  greatly 
aggrieved  at  the  change  and  President  Lamar,  who  was  supposed 
to  favor  it,  came  in  for  a  large  share  of  local  criticism.  Sam 


58  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Houston  also  opposed  the  change  as  Austin  was  then  on  the 
Indian  frontier  and  some  stirring  chapters  of  Texas  history 
were  made  by  the  old  General's  subsequent  attempt  to  move 
the  archives  and  the  capital  away  from  Austin. 

On  November  16,  1840,  Lord  Palmerston,  at  London,  signed 
with  General  Henderson,  the  treaty  by  which  England  recognized 
the  independence  of  Texas  and  a  similar  treaty  was  signed  at 
the  Hague  about  that  time. 

The  Santa  Fe  expedition  in  1841,  was  participated  in  by 
many  Houstonians  and  Mr.  Kendall  of  the  New  Orleans  Pica- 
yune, who  was  one  of  those  making  the  trip,  has  a  vivid 
chapter  on  Houston  and  her  horse  market,  in  which  the  Milam 
Guards  are  greatly  praised.  Kendall's  book  was  published  in 
1845.  Houstonians  also  participated  in  the  Mier  expedition 
that  followed,  but  the  fate  of  neither  of  these  can  be  considered 
local  history. 

Whenever  there  was  a  threat  of  a  Mexican  invasion, 
Houston  promptly  supplied  her  quota  of  soldiers,  furnishing 
on  one  occasion  two  companies  of  mounted  infantry  equipped 
by  local  merchants. 

Great  Britian  evinced  a  lively  interest  in  Texas  from  the 
first  and  had  planned  to  control  this  country  either  as  a  colony, 
a  protectorate,  or  by  close  treaties.  Between  1840  and  1845 
England's  plans  were  enlarged  to  purchase  California,  and  press 
England's  claims  to  Oregon  that  would  bring  that  boundary 
down  to  within  45  miles  of  territory  claimed  by  Texas  and  thus 
control  the  entire  Pacific  slope  of  the  United  States. 

Some  wise  men  in  Texas  and  in  the  United  States  under- 
stood her  diplomacy.  She  prevented  Mexico's  acknowledging 
the  independence  of  Texas  until  it  was  offered  as  the  price 
of  Texas  staying  out  of  the  American  Union.  The  United 
States  also  waked  up  to  the  fact  that  the  Monroe  doctrine  was 
in  danger  and  the  great  presidential  campaign  of  1844  was  waged 
on  the  democratic  platform  of  "Polk  and  Dallas,  Texas  and 
Oregon  54°,  40'  or  fight." 

With  the  United  States  as  the  suitor,  Texas  agreed  to  come 
into  the  Union  rejecting,  at  the  same  convention,  the  counter 


Capital  Days  and  Annexation  59 

proposition  from  Great  Britian  of  English  friendship,  and  Mex- 
ican recognition  of  her  independence. 

George  Fisher,  one  of  liouston's  most  noted  citizens,  diplo- 
mats and  soldiers,  a  JJungarian  by  birth,  saw  England's  plan 
most  clearly  and  in  a  letter,  dated,  Houston,  January  2,  1844, 
and  published  in  the  Madisonian  at  Washington,  February  5, 
he  points  out  the  English  menace  to  the  Monroe  doctrine. 

In  a  dissertation,  written  in  German  and  published  at  the 
University  of  Berlin  in  1902,  the  editor  of  this  history  has  dis- 
cussed at  length  the  plans  of  England  and  other  countries  in 
regard  to  Texas.  The  title  of  the  book  is  "Die  Annexion  von 
Texas,  ein  Beitrag  zur  Geschichte  der  Monroe  Doctrin." 

As  soon  as  Texas  saw  that  the  United  States  was  in  deep 
earnest  at  last,  sentiment  for  annexation  became  strong  again. 
An  annexation  mass  meeting  was  held  in  Houston  with  Hon. 
M.  P.  Norton,  chairman,  George  II.  Bringhurst  and  A.  M. 
Gentry,  secretaries,  and  the  following  committee  on  resolutions: 
J.  W.  Henderson,  Francis  Moore,  Jr.,  W.  M.  McCraven,  F.  R. 
Lubbock,  J.  Bailey,  A.  Wynns,  J.  W.  Brashear,  T.  B.  J.  Hadley, 
T.  M.  Bagby,  William  M.  Rice,  C.  M.  McAnnelly,  M.  T. 
Rodgers,  M.  K.  Snell,  H.  Baldwin,  S.  S.  Tompkins  and  John  H. 
Brown.  The  committee  resolved:  "That  in  exchanging  our 
present  political  position  for  that  of  a  sovereign  state  of  the 
American  Union,  we  shall  indeed  be  merging  the  beams  of  our 
single  star,  but  only  that  it  may  acquire  new  and  increased 
splendor  from  the  more  full  and  pervading  light  of  a  glorious 
constellation,  as  certain  planets  are  said  to  withdraw  themselves 
from  view  when  they  become  illumined  in  a  group  of  great 
stars." 

By  the  time  the  vote  came  on  annexation  and  the  consti- 
tution which  occurred  on  October  13,  1845,  the  sentiment  was 
so  certain  that  many  stayed  away  from  the  polls  in  full  confi- 
dence as  to  how  the  choice  would  be  made.  The  vote  of  Harris 
County  was  for  annexation,  321,  of  which  number  241  votes 
were  cast  in  Houston ;  against  annexation  50,  of  which  number 
44  ballots  were  cast  in  Houston;  for  the  Constitution  299, 
against  the  Constitution  68.  Texas  had  returned  to  her  father's 


60  History  of  Houston;  Texas 

house.  The  Harris  County  delegates  to  the  Constitutional  con- 
vention of  1845  were  Isaac  W.  Brashear,  Alexander  McGowen 
and  Francis  Moore,  Jr.  Its  first  state  senator  was  Isaac  W. 
Brashear  and  its  first  representatives  Pet^r  W.  Gray  and  J.  N. 
0.  Smith.  The  lone  star  had  yielded  to  the  sweet  influences  of 
the  Pleides. 


CHAPTER  V 

Early  Religious  Organizations 


Houston's  Pioneer  Churches.     Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Bap- 
tists and  Catholics  Early  Founded  Congregations. 


The  first  evangelistic  sermon  ever  preached  in  Houston, 
according  to  Dr.  B.  F.  Riley,  sometime  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  of  this  city,  in  his  " History  of  Texas  Baptists,"  was 
by  Rev.  Z.  N.  Mor'rell.  Rev.  Mr.  Morrell  and  an  aged  com- 
panion, Rev.  R.  Marsh,  reached  Texas  in  1835  as  Baptist  mis- 
sionaries. Both  came  to  Houston  shortly  after  it  was  founded. 
In  the  general  rush  for  Texas  many  preachers  were  included 
some  of  whom  had  come  for  other  reasons  than  the  good  of 
the  cause.  To  guard  against  ministerial  frauds  and  imposters 
a  meeting  was  held  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Marsh  in  Houston  on 
May  8,  1837,  while  the  first  Congress  to  meet  here  was  in 
session  and  a  preachers'  vigilance  committee  was  organized. 
On  the  committee,  besides  the  two  named,  were  W.  W.  Hall,  a 
Kentucky  Presbyterian,  and  three  Methodists,  "W.  P.  Smith, 
of  Tennessee ;  L.  I.  Allen,  of  New  York .  and  H.  Matthews,  of 
Louisiana.  The  committee  pledged  itself  to  recognize  no 
preacher  coming  from  the  United  States  or  elsewhere,  unless  he 
brought  with  him  testimonials  of  good  character. 

Rev.  Littleton  Fowler,  a  Methodist  minister  of  piety  and 
zeal  was  among  the  early  ministerial  arrivals.  He  was  elected 
Chaplain  of  the  Senate  in  the  fall  of  1837. 

Mr.  Fowler  obtained  as  a  gift  from  the  Aliens  the  title  to  • 
the  half  block  of  ground  on  Texas  Avenue  between  Travis  and 
Milam  Streets  formerly  occupied  by  the  old  Shearn  church,  but 
now  occupied  by  the  New  Majestic  Theatre  and  the  Chronicle 
building.    It  was  deeded  in  1837. 


62  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Rev.  "William  Y.  Allen,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  acted  as 
Chaplain  of  Congress  for  a  time  in  1838  and  often  preached  at 
the  capitol  during  1838  and  1839. 

Rev.  Edward  Fountain  preached  to  an  unorganized  Meth- 
odist congregation  in  Houston  in  1838. 

The  first  Sunday  School  was  established  in  Houston  in 
1838.  It  seems  to  have  been  largely  interdenominational  as 
no  churches  were  then  organized.  This  Sunday  School  had  an 
average  attendance  of  100. 

David  G.  Burnett  was  elected  president  of  the  Texas  Bible 
Society  which  was  organized  in  1838.  Mr.  Burnett  had  been 
the  first  President  of  the  Republic  and  was  President  when 
Houston  was  founded. 

The  first  evangelical  church  formally  organized  in  Houston 
was  of  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  the  .organization  was  effected 
on  the  last  day  of  March,  1838,  by  Rev.  William  Y.  Allen  in 
the  Senate  chamber  of  the  capitol  building.  The  following 
names  were  signed  to  the  Presbyterian  Confession  of  Faith,  and, 
church  government,  that  was  then  adopted:  James  Burke,  who 
was  the  first  ruling  elder,  A.  B.  Shelby,  J.  Wilson  Copes, 
Isabella  R.  Parker,  Ed  Belden,  Marian  Shelby,  James  Bailey, 
Sarah  Woodward,  Jennett  Smith,  Harris  G.  Avery,  and  Sophia 
B.  Hodge.  Mr.  Allen  continued  as  pastor  of  this  church  until 
1842.  The  church  built  by  this  congregation  was  not  finished 
until  late  in  1840.  It  was  located  on  Main  Street,  between 
Texas  and  Capitol  Avenues,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1862. 

On  March  16,  1839,  Christ  church  of  the  Episcopal  faith 
was  organized.  On  April  1,  the  first  board  of  vestrymen  was 
selected  as  follows :  William  F.  Gray,  John  Birdsall,  M.  Hunt, 
A.  F.  Woodward,  James  Webb,  William  Pierpont,  Tod 
Robinson,  E.  S.  Perkins,  D.  W.  C.  Harris,  J.  D.  Andrews,  C. 
Kessler  and  George  Allen.  The  first  church  edifice  on  the  site 
of  the  present  church  was  consecrated  in  1847  by  the  Right 
Reverend  George  W.  Freeman,  Missionary  Bishop  of  the  West. 
The  site  of  the  Church  was  donated  by  the  Aliens. 

In  May,  1839,  Bishop  Leonidas  Polk  visited  Houston  on 
a  tour  of  the  Republic. 


Early  Religious  Organizations  63 

The  First  Baptist  church  in  Houston  was  organized  on 
May  22,  1841,  by  Rev.  James  Huckins,  who  had  come  to  Houston 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Home  Mission  Society  of  New  York. 
The  Baptists  had  no  meeting  house  of  their  own  until  1847, 
when  the  efforts  of  a  few  noble  women  and  of  Elder  Tryon  at 
last  secured  one. 

Mrs.  Nathan  Fuller,  wife  of  Col.  Nathan  Fuller,  and  Mrs. 
P.  L.  Hadley  were  prominent  in  the  group  of  women  who 
secured  the  church  building. 

When  Rev.  Littleton  Fowler,  the  Methodist  minister, 
preached  in  the  capitol  at  Houston  in  1837  he  found  in  the 
city  "gaming  and  vice  and  any  number  of  doggeries,"  but  no 
churches.  Mr.  Fowler  was  an  ardent  mason  and  later  helped 
to  organize  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Texas  in  the  Capitol  building. 

Abel  Stevens  was  appointed  to  the  Galveston' and  Houston 
circuit  on  December  3,  1838,  but  did  not  take  up  the  work. 
During  1839,  Rev.  L.  G.  Hoard  and  Rev.  Jesse  Strickland 
preached  several  times  in  Houston.  On  December  4,  1839,  Rev. 
Edward  Fountain  was  appointed  preacher  in  charge  for  Hous- 
ton and  Galveston,  but  worked  almost  exclusively  in  Houston 
during  the  year  1840.  On  Christmas  day,  1840,  T.  0.  Summers 
was  appointed  in  charge  of  Houston  and  Galveston.  In  Houston 
he  preached  in  an  upper  room,  over  a  store,  on  Capitol  Avenue 
between  Milam  and  Louisiana  Streets.  In  1841,  Rev.  Mr. 
Summer  organized  the  first  permanent  Methodist  church  in 
Houston,  for  a  long  time  known  as  Shearn  church,  but  now 
bearing  the  name  of  the  First  Methodist  church.  Among  the 
early  members  were  C.  Shearn,  D.  Gregg,  A.  H.  Sharp,  Mrs. 
Campbell,  Mrs.  Winn,  (a  daughter  of  Dr.  Ruter,)  Mrs.  Mixon, 
E.  D.  ,Johnson,  John  H.  Walton,  Mosely  Baker,  Dr.  John  L. 
Bryan,  Mrs.  Bryan,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  McGowan,  H.  Tracy, 
A.  Crawford,  Francis  Moore  McCrea,  C.  Dikeman  and  G.  S. 
Hardcastle.  The  history  of  this  church  has  been  well  com-, 
piled  by  Mrs.  I.  M.  E.  Blandin  of  Houston. 

Abbe  Domenech,  who  was  in  Houston  in  July,  1848,  makes  an 
ugly  little  remark  in  his  book,  ' '  Missionary  Adventures  in  Texas 
and  Mexico,"  that  has  become  famous.  He  says:  "Houston  is 


64  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

a  wretched  little  town  composed  of  about  20  shops  and  a  hun- 
dred huts  dispersed  here  and  there  among  trunks  of  felled 
trees.  It  is  infested  with  Methodists  and  ants."  The  only 
thing  the  Abbe  tells  of  Houston  besides  this  statement  is  the 
story  of  his  fight  with  the  ants,  these  insects  causing  him 
much  tribulation. 

Many  enterprising  missionaries  and  clerics  of  the  Catholic 
faith  visited  Houston  during  the  early  days  and  a  congrega- 
tion was  early  formed.  It  nourished  and  erected  its  first  build- 
ing in  1841.  This  congregation  was  and  is  known  as  the  Church 
of  the  Annunciation  and  has  played  a  large  part  in  the  religious 
history  of  Houston. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou 


City  of  Houston's  Early  Progress  and  Poverty.  Arrival  of 
Schooner  "Rolla."  Financial  Panic  and  Yellow  Fever 
Epidemic  of  1839.  First  Book  Published  in  City.  Building 
of  Wharves  and  Organization  of  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Early  Descriptions  of  the  Buffalo  River  and  its  Steamboat 
Life.  British  Consul  Ikin's  Description  of  Houston.  Civic 
Prosperity.  Houston  Enters  Union  as  Commercial  Empor- 
ium and  Business  Capital  of  the  State. 


Such  an  accumulation  of  individual  cells  is  a  town,  so 
gradually  does  it  grow,  and  by  such  processes  of  accretion, 
and  so  persistently  do  the  newspapers  and  periodicals  of  any 
period  overlook  that  which  is  distinctive  «ud  o.i:  the  deepest 
interest  to  subsequent  generations  as  being  a  mere  matter  of 
course,  that  it  is  difficult  to  trace  the  lines  oi'  a  city's  growth. 

Here  and  there  however,  events  are  recorded  which,  if 
they  will  not  exactly  serve  as  milestones  on  the  highway  of 
progress  are  at  least  indications  of  tiie  direction  in  which 
progress  was  made  as  the  stones  and  gravel  mark  the  path  of 
vanished  glaciers. 

When  John  Allen  cut  with  his  bowie  knife  the  coffee  bean 
weeds  from  what  he  had  marked  out  as  Main  Street,  a  mere 
muddy  pathway  that  'ran  down  to  a  muddy  bayou's  bank,  he 
was  tracing  a  highway  that  was  one  day  to  be  a  canyon 
between  skyscrapers  and  both  his  faith  and  his  works  speedily 
began  to  be  justified. 

To  his  tent  town  there  came,  on  January  1,  1837,  the  first 
steamer,  the  "Laura,"  commanded  by  Captain  Grayson,  with 
a  full  load  of  settlers  and  immigrants,  some  of  them  men  of 


66  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

fame  already  and  others  to  achieve  it  in  the  new  country  of 
Texas. 

In  April,  of  that  year,  the  capitol  was  moved  and  the  capitol 
building  was  constructed  and  a  kind  of  gubernatorial  hut  was 
erected  on  Travis  Street  at  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  Trimble 
laundry. 

On  April  21,  the  schooner  "Rolla,"  after  spending  four 
days  on  the  route  from  Harrisburg  to  Houston,  arrived.  This 
was  the  first  sailing  vessel  to  reach  the  new  town.  She  had  a 
cargo  consigned  to  Allen  Brothers,  and  was  chartered  by 
Messrs  Dykeman  and  Westcott  and  had  made  the  water  voyage 
from  St.  Joseph,  Florida.  Her  numerous  passengers  attended 
the  famous  anniversary  ball  in  the  Carlos  building. 

The  arrival  of  the  Telegraph  from  Columbia  and  the 
founding  of  the  Morning  Star  gave  Houston  two  good  news- 
papers. Jack  Eldinge,  poet  and  editor  was  one  of  the  early 
promoters  of  the  Morning  Star,  which  changed  hands  often 
during  the  first  few  years  of  its  existence. 

In  the  fall  of  1837,  the  first  two-story  dwelling  house  was 
built  in  Houston  by  Judge  A.  C.  Briscoe  on  the  corner  of  Main 
Street  and  Prairie  Avenue.  Later  it  was  for  many  years  the 
home  of  Dr.  I.  S.  Roberts.  The  only  other  two-story  buildings 
that  year  were  the  court  house  and  the  capitol. 

In  the  spring  of  1838,  one  of  the  papers  says  that  Houston 
has  400  inhabitants  and  pine  stumps  on  Main  Street.  During 
the  year,  ice  was  advertised  for  sale  at  the  cut  rate  of  fifty 
cents  a  pound. 

A  petition,  signed  by  many  voters,  appears  in  the  Tele- 
graph of  October  11,  1837,  asking  that  something  be  done  to 
remedy  the  muddy  condition  of  the  streets  around  the  capitol 
and  the  President's  house. 

The  year  1839  was  in  many  respects  a  hard  year.  During 
that  year  New  Orleans  refused  credit  to  the  merchants,  the 
first  yellow  fever  epidemic  visited  Houston  and  caused  many 
deaths,  and  on  September  15,  of  that  year,  the  moving  of  the 
capital  to  Austin  was  begun. 

In  May  of  that  year  the  first  regular  board  of  health  was 


Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou  67 

appointed  by  the  city  council  and  a  short  time  later  a  city  hos- 
pital was  created  and  the  cost  and  upkeep  of  this  hospital  was 
a  large  item  of  city  expenditure  for  the  year.  From  July  1 
to  December  31,  1839,  there  were  240  deaths  in  Houston, 
mostly  from  yellow  fever,  out  of  a  population  given  as  2,000. 
Yellow  fever  raged  in  New  Orleans,  Galveston  and  Houston 
and  ravaged  the  Texas  coast.  Its  mosquito  origin  was  not  then 
known  but  all  early  settlers  noticed  its  relation  to  ditches, 
filth  and  bodies  of  stagnant  water.  Dr.  Ashbel  Smith  also 
noted  that  a  fall  of  temperature  checked  its  spread.  A  norther, 
on  November  20,  when  the  mercury  fell  to  40  degrees  Faren- 
heit,  put  an  end  to  the  plague. 

The  fourth  of  July,  of  1839,  wras  celebrated  jointly  by  the 
Sunday  School  and  the  new  military  company,  the  Milam 
Guards.  There  were  70  in  attendance  at  the  Sunday  "School. 
Rev.  William  Y.  Allen  read  Deuteronomy,  sixth  chapter;  J.  R. 
Read  spoke  for  the  Sabbath  School ;  J.  W.  Eldridge  read  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  D.  Y.  Portiss  spoke  for  the 
Guards.  It  was  a  curious  joint  celebration  of  another  nation's 
holiday. 

During  the  year  the  treasury  notes  of  the  Republic,  known 
as  "red  backs,"  fell  to  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar.  They  later 
fell  as  low  as  ten  cents  on  the  dollar.  Mexico  was  threatening 
an  invasion  but  not  much  heed  was  paid  to  this  threat  by 
Texas  although  it  fulfilled  its  intention  of  hurting  the  credit 
of  the  new  nation  abroad. 

The  first  flour  brought  to  the  new  city  had  sold  for  $30  a 
barrel,  in  gold,  but  the  price  had  materially  fallen  although 
all  flour  was  imported,  but  now  in  the  depreciated  currency  a 
barrel  of  flour  cost  $80;  a  beef,  the  same;  corn  meal  was  $8  a 
bushel;  corn,  $4  per  hundred  ears;  sugar,  42  cents  a  pound, 
and  other  prices  in  proportion.  Famine  and  bankruptcy 
threatened  the  town.  Some  of  the  early  merchants  were  Dowell 
and  Adams,  F.  R.  Lubbock,  William  D.  Lee,  Toni  League,  T.  W. 
House,  Cruger  and  Moon,  and  Sam  Whitney,  also  proprietor 
of  the  Telegraph.  The  newspapers  published  each  day 
lists  of  current  prices  and  also  of  New  Orleans  rates  on  money. 


68  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

All  the  New  Orleans  bank  notes  sold  below  par  but  the  bank 
notes  of  McKinney  and  Williams,  bankers  at  Galveston,  remained 
at  par  and  furnished  a  striking  tribute  to  the  credit  and  solidity 
of  a  Texas  institution. 

On  December  24,  1839,  the  newspapers  note  with  pride  that 
some  brick  sidewalks  have  made  their  appearance  on  Main 
Street.  During  the  same  month  they  complained  of  the  rotten 
wooden  city  bridges  and  of  the  effluvia,  arising  from  the  neg- 
lected market  place. 

Probably  the  first  book  ever  published  in  Houston,  and  cer- 
tainly the  first  book,  a  copy  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  city's 
library,  was  published  in  Houston  in  1839.  It  is  called  ' '  General 
Regulations  for  the  Government  of  the  Army  of  the  Republic 
of  Texas,"  and  contains  187  pages  and  shows  creditable  press 
work  and  also  well  formulated  military  regulations.  It  was 
published  in  the  office  of  the  Houston  Intelligencer.  In  the  next 
few  years  advertisements  for  printers  and  bookbinders  make 
their  appearance  in  the  papers. 

In  1840  the  tide  of  prosperity  again  slowly  turned  Houston- 
ward  which  had  suffered  severely  in  temper  and  resources  from 
the  removal  of  the  capital. 

On  February  3,  of  that  year,  the  newspapers  advocate  a 
line  of  stages  to  Austin  which  was  soon  after  inaugurated.  Dur- 
ing the  month  of  February  a  Brazoria  man  was  appointed  post 
master  at  Houston.  This  was  regarded  as  the  crowning  insult 
and  the  subject  furnished  a  controversy  that  lasted  for  months. 

Bids  were  received  in  February  to  construct  a  wharf  from 
the  foot  of  Main  Street  to  the  foot  of  Fannin  Street,  and  on 
February  26,  there  was  a  curious  organization  formed  known  as 
the  ' '  Anti-Rat  Society, ' '  headed  by  John  W.  Eldridge.  Its  pur- 
pose was  not  to  attack  the  head  ornaments  of  the  women  but  the 
rodents  that  swarmed  everywhere  in  the  town  so  as  to  be  a  pest. 

Houston's  first  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  organized  on 
April  5,  with  E.  S.  Perkins  as  president.  An  advertisement  of 
that  month,  notes  that  20  barrels  of  whiskey  have  been  received 
for  sale  by  one  firm  and  others  had  large  consignments  of  the 
same  insinuating  beverage.  The  Morning  Star  complains  on 


69 

April  20,  of  the  rowdies  and  black  legs  who  make  life  intolerable 
by  their  carouses  and  fights  and  two  days  later  dragged  these 
offenders  over  the  coals  again  in  an  article  beginning  "We  are 
informed  that  some  of  the  black  leg  gentry  took  offense  at  our 
remarks."  The  thugs  and  rowdies  were  handled  without  gloves 
by  the  paper  and  during  the  year  a  warm  campaign  in  favor  of 
temperance  and  against  the  use  of  whiskey  in  the  Houston 
climate  was  waged  by  it. 

A  new  military  company,  known  as  the  Dragoons,  was 
organized  in  April,  1840.  On  April  23,  one  of  the  papers  tells  of  a 
tall  lank  stranger  who  visited  the  city  and  wrote  after  his  name 
the  letters  P.  0.  P.  S.  F.  C.  The  stranger  was  asked  the  meaning 
of  the  letters  and  said  they  were  an  abbreviation  of  his  title, 
which,  on  request  he  gave  as  "Professor  of  Psalmody  and  School- 
master from  Connecticut."  The  professor  however  did  not 
participate  in  the  first  concert  given  in  Houston  on  May  1,  by 
Emil  Heerbrugger  at  which  solos  were  rendered  on  the  piano,  the 
violin  and  the  French  horn. 

A  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Louis,  of  France,  opened  a 
fencing  school  but  found  some  difficulty  in  persauding  the  citi- 
zens to  abandon  the  bowie  knife  for  the  rapier  as  a  means  of 
settling  difficulties  and  smoothing  out  wrinkles  in  a  sensitive 
honor.  News  of  Filisola's  invasion  and  of  Burleson's  campaign 
against  the  Lipans  appeared  in  the  papers. 

The  papers  lament  the  slow  mails.  This  is  a  characteristic 
complaint  of  the  period:  "Pleasant — To  have  the  United  States 
Mail  lay  at  Galveston  two  days  after  its  arrival,  to  have  it  put 
on  board  the  slowest  boat  that  runs  on  the  bayou  and  to  have  that 
boat  lay  three  days  on  Red  Fish  Bar." 

Shallow  water  on  Cloppers  Bar  delayed  passenger  traffic 
and  the  mails,  and  it  was  suggested  that  if  all  the  boats  would 
drop  bouys  along  the  line  of  the  channel  over  this  bar  that  boats 
always  passing  in  the  same  track  would  rub  a  channel  deep 
enough  for  convenient  passage  and  that  the  mud  thus  rubbed  up 
by  the  boat  bottoms  would  be  washed  out  of  the  way.  It  was 
one  of  the  earliest  projects  for  deepening  the  ship  channel. 

Henry  Stuart  Foote  traversed  the  bayou  in  1840,  and  in  his 


70  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

book,  published  in  Philadelphia  the  following  year,  tells  of  a 
herd  of  buffalo  on  Galveston  Bay,  of  the  wonders  of  water  bird 
life,  the  naming  flamingoes,  the  giant  white  pelicans,  the  rice 
birds,  the  white  and  gray  cranes  and  the  eagles.  Of  the  bayou 
he  says:  "In  view  of  navigation  only,  Buffalo  Bayou  in  connec- 
tion with  Galveston  Bay  is  among  the  most  important  water 
courses  of  Texas.  To  Houston  there  is  a  safe  and  constant 
steamboat  navigation  every  day. in  the  year,  and  for  practical 
purposes  this  city  may  be  considered  the  most  inland  point  of 
navigation  of  the  country.  As  evidence  of  this  fact  the  city  of 
Houston  is  among  the  most  flourishing  towns  in  Texas." 

A  description  of  the  bayou  by  the  Abbe  Domenech  a  few 
years  later  mitigates  his  offensive  description  of  Houston  already 
quoted.  The  Abbe  says:  "We  entered  the  little  Buffalo  River 
bordered  with  reeds  and  bullrush.es  in  the  midst  of  which  herons 
and  cranes  and  thousands  of  ducks  were  disputing.  By  and  by 
the  banks  increased  in  height,  approached  so  near  to  each  other 
and  formed  so  many  narrow  tortuous  windings  that  at  every 
instance  the  boat  was  caught  either  by  the  bow  or  the  stern. 
At  length  the  high  lands  appeared,  covered  with  magnolias  with 
their  large  white  flowers  and  delicious  perfumes.  Gray  and  red 
squirrels  leaped  from  branch  to  branch,  while  mocking  birds  and 
cardinals  imparted  life  and  language  to  these  wonderful  soli- 
tudes." 

A  vivid  picture  of  steamboat  life  on  Buffalo  Bayou  at  this 
period  is  given  by  an  Englishwoman,  Mrs.  Houstoun,  who  accom- 
panied her  husband  on  a  yachting  voyage  and  hunting  expe- 
dition to  America.  Her  style  is  piquant  and  her  comments  are 
offered  without  apology.  Chapter  X  of  Vol.  II  of  her  book, 
"Yacht  Voyage  to  Texas,"  published  in  London  in  1844,  cleaJs 
with  the  trip  up  the  bayou  and  with  the  city  of  Houston.  She 
says: 

"It  was  about  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  a  bright  frosty 
day  that  we  put  ourselves  on  board  the  Houston  steamer — Cap- 
tain Kelsey.  She  was  a  small  vessel,  and  drew  but  little  water,  a 
circumstance  very  necessary  in  these  small  rivers.  The  American 
river  steamers  differ  very  much  in  appearance  from  those  to 


Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou  71 

which  an  European  eye  is  accustomed.  They  have  the  appear- 
ance of  wooden  houses,  built  upon  a  large  raft;  there  is  a  balcony 
or  verandah,  and  on  the  roof  is  what  is  called  the  hurricane  deck, 
where  gentlemen  passengers  walk  and  smcke. 

"On  the  occasion  of  our  taking  our  passage,  both  ladies'  and 
gentlemen's  cabins  were  quite  full,  and  I  therefore  preferred 
spending  the  evening  in  the  balcony  in  spite  of  the  cold.  I  had 
kind  offers  of  civility  but  I  could  not  help  being  amused  at  the 
terms  in  which  some  of  them  were  couched.  The  question 
addressed  to  me  of  '  Do  you  liquor,  ma  'am  ? '  was  speedily  followed 
by  the  production  of  a  tumbler  of  egg-ncggy,  which  seemed  in 
great  request,  and  I  cannot  deny  its  excellence.  I  believe  the 
British  Navy  claims  the  merit  of  its  invention,  but  this  is  matter 
of  dispute. 

' '  We  dined  soon  after  our  arrival  on  board  and  found  every- 
body very  orderly  and  civil.  Certainly  there  was  a  strange  mix- 
ture of  ranks,  but  this  made  it  more  amusing  to  a  stranger.  The 
supper  consisted  of  alternate  dishes  of  boiled  oysters,  and  beef 
steaks,  of  which  there  was  plenty  and  the  latter  disappeared  in 
marvelously  quick  time  between  the  strong  jaws  of  the  Texan 
gentlemen.  I  confess  to  preferring  meat  which  has  been  kept 
somewhat  more  than  an  hour,  especially  in  frosty  weather.  On 
one  occasion  our  dinner  was  delayed  for  some  time,  while  the 
cook  went  on  shore  and  'shot  a  beef.'  There  was  fortunately 
water  enough  for  us  to  cross  Red  Fish  Bar,  and  we  were  fast 
steaming  up  Buffalo  River.  For  a  considerable  distance  from 
the  mouth  the  shores  are  low,  flat  and  swampy,  but  as  the  stream 
narrowed  there  were  high  banks,  and  the  trees  were  quite  beau- 
tiful in  spite  of  the  season,  which  was  extremely  unfavorable  to 
foliage  and  woody  scenery.  Such  magnolias — eighty  feet  in 
height,  and  with  a  girth  like  huge  forest  trees, — what  must  they 
be  when  in  full  blossom!  There  were  also  a  great  number  and 
variety  of  evergreens,  laurel,  bay  and  firs,  rhododendrons,  cistus 
and  arbutus.  It  seemed  one  vast  shrubbery.  The  trees  and 
shrubs  grew  to  a  prodigious  height,  and  often  met  over  the 
steamer,  as  she  wound  through  the  short  reaches  of  this  most 
lovely  stream. 


72  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

"My  berth  opened  out  of  the  state  cabin,  and  as  the  only 
partition  was  a  Venetian  door,  I  could  not  avoid  hearing  all  the 
conversation  that  was  carried  on  by  my  neighbors.  Cards  and 
drinking  constituted  no  inconsiderable  part  of  the  pleasures  of 
the  evening,  but  with  all  the  excitement  of  talk,  tobacco  chewing 
and  brandy,  I  never  heard  people  more  orderly  and  reasonable. 
There  was  no  private  scandal,  no  wit,  no  literature,  no  small 
talk ;  all  was  hard,  dry,  calculating  business.  One  rather  import- 
ant looking  gentleman  made  a  stump  speech  on  the  expedi- 
ency of  Texas  becoming  a  colony 'of  Great  Britian!  I  do  not 
know  the  orator's  name  but  General  or  Colonel  he  must  have 
been.  Military  titles  are  taken  and  given  here  with  as  little 
ceremony  as  the  title  of  Count  on  the  Continent.  Mr.  Houstoun 
sprang  into  a  General  at  once. 

' '  There  was  a  Baptist  preacher  on  board,  a  thin,  weary  look- 
ing man,  with  a  cast  in  his  eye  which  was  very  comical.  He  had 
fought  for  his  country  and  though  now  a  man  of  peace,  delighted 
in  displaying  his  knowledge  of  military  matters.  He  was  going 
to  Houston  to  establish  a  school  for  young  gentlemen,  while 
his  wife  was  to  superintend  the  education  of  their  sisters.  This, 
he  said,  he  was  induced  to  do  that  his  boys  might  not  mix  with 
their  inferiors.  He  could  not  bear,  he  added,  that  his  sons  should 
be  acquainted  with  vulgar  boys,  which  they  were  obliged  to  do 
at  Galveston,  but  he  didn't  like  it,  and  now  at  his  school,  he  could 
choose  the  boys!  Exclusiveness  here!  Where  shall  we  look  for 
a  country  where  the  real  charitable  feelings  of  equality  exist? 
I  may  remark  that  my  maid  was  obliged  to  wait  until  all  these 
people  had  done  their  meals,  because,  I  was  told,  they  did  not 
like  her  to  eat  at  the  same  table.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning 
we  arrived  at  the  pretty  town  of  Houston.  It  is  built  on  high 
land,  and  the  banks,  which  are  covered  with  evergreens,  rise 
abruptly  from  the  river." 

The  lady's  book  has  a  frontispiece  steel  engraving  of 
Houston,  evidently  made  by  the  artist  from  the  description  in 
this  last  sentence.  It  shows  a  city  on  the  sloping  side  of  a  lofty 
hill  with  a  vista  of  mountains  all  about.  A  beautiful  arched 
viaduct  spans  the  stream  just  above  the  wharf  where  a  huge 


Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou  73 

side  wheel  steamboat  lies  at  anchor.  It  is  a  very  flattering 
engraving.  Later  the  lady  incidentally  gives  the  information  that 
Houston  had  only  one  brick  house  at  this  time. 

In  a  newspaper  of  April  19,  1839,  it  is  stated  that  a  census 
shows  Houston  to  have  2,073  people,  1,620  males  and  453  females, 
and  property  assessed  worth  $2,405,865  with  the  wharves  of  a 
large  commercial  city  and  five  steamers  constantly  plying  between 
Houston  and  Galveston.  These  figures  seem  padded  somehow 
and  the  wharves  then  were  only  mud  banks  and  plank  platforms 
at  the  water's  edge,  but  in  1840,  one  gets  some  authoritative  infor- 
mation as  to  the  city  in  a  booklet  entitled  "Texas,"  by  Arthur 
Ikin,  Great  Britian's  Texas  consul,  published  in  London,  in  1841. 
Mr.  Ikin  says :  ' '  Houston,  though  scarcely  five  years  old,  has 
5,000  inhabitants ;  several  religious  congregations ;  shops  of  every 
kind ;  daily  and  weekly  newspapers ;  numerous  professional  men ; 
a  theatre,  race  course,  hotels,  cafes,  etc.,  etc.,  and  several  steam- 
ers running  between  Galveston  and  this  city  which  will  always  be 
a  great  depot  for  the  retail  trade  of  the  interior." 

Mr.  Ikin  also  says  that  the  states  which  have  most  largely 
contributed  to  the  population  of  Texas  are:  Alabama,  Georgia, 
Tennessee,  Kentucky,  the  Carolinas,  and  Virginia.  "The  warm 
hearted  liberality,  intelligence  and  taste  for  refinement  which 
have  always  distinguished  the  people  of  these  last  mentioned 
states,  are  characteristics  that  have  not  been  lost  by  transmigra- 
tion across  the  Sabine. " 

There  is  incidental  talk  of  a  railroad  again*  in  1840,  and 
on  June  8,  of  that  year,  the  announcement  is  made  that  the  city 
schools  will  again  be  opened.  The  early  schools  of  the  city  were 
private  schools.  Hon.  Alcee  LaBranche,  the  United  States  repre- 
sentative was  shown  marked  courtesies  in  Houston  during  the 
year. 

W.  L.  McCalla  was  in  Houston,  in  1840,  and  the  next  year 
published  a  bock;  "Adventures  in  Texas."  Here  is  his  sole  refer- 
ence to  Houston :  "I  enjoyed  for  a  season  the  hospitality  of 
the  city  of  Houston.  Here,  consulting  my  moderate  purse,  I 
purchased  and  mounted  a  poor,  little,  ugly,  worthless  Indian 
mare. "  It  is  to  be  hoped  that,  had  his  purse  been  longer, 


74  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Houston  could  have  offered  him  a  better  bargain  in  horse  flesh. 

After  1840,  Houston  grew  steadily  and  quietly.  Five  years 
after  its  foundation  the  city  revenue  was,  for  the  year,  $4,740, 
specie  value. 

From  June  1,  1841,  to  May  5,  1842,  there  WHS  exported  2,460 
bales  of  cotton,  72,816  feet  of  lumber,  and  1,803  hides  and  four 
commercial  steamers  plyed  on  the  bayou.  From  January,  1842, 
to  January,  1843,  the  city  consumed,  according  to  the  market 
reports,  1,124  beeves,  340  hogs,  165  pigs,  128  calves  and  36  sheep. 

By  a  city  ordinance  of  June  8,  1841,  the  city  became  known 
as  the  port  of  Houston  and  put  on  a  wharfmaster  and  rates  of 
wharfage.  By  an  act  of  Congress  approved  January  29,  1842,  the 
city  was  given  the  right  to  remove  obstructions  from  the  bayou 
and  to  improve  navigation. 

In  the  spring  of  1844,  T.  N.  Davis  brought  the  first  cotton 
compress  to  Houston.  The  paper  announced  that  Mr.  Davis 
could  compress  500  pounds  of  cotton  into  a  space  22  inches 
square  in  fifteen  minutes  by  the  aid  of  two  hands.  The  two 
hands  referred  to  seem  to  have  been  hired  assistants. 

The  Morning  Star  of  December  20,  1845,  discusses  the  pros- 
pects of  Houston,  saying:  "Notwithstanding  the  bad  state,  of 
the  roads,  large  numbers  of  teams  arrive  daily  from  the  interior 
with  cotton.  Four  or  five  new  stores  have  been  opened  here 
within  the  last  month,  and  we  are  informed  that  several  mer- 
chants expect  to  open  stores  as  soon  as  Annexation  is  consum- 
mated. There 'is  not  a  house  in  town  to  rent  and  several  new 
buildings  are  going  up.  The  hotels  are  literally  crowded  with 
boarders.  The  value  of  real  estate  in  this  section  of  the  city  has 
advanced  at  least  100  per  cent  within  the  last  two  months." 

On  June  2,  1845,  the  finance  committee  made  a  report  to  the 
city  council  that  the  amount  of  assessed  and  appraised  property 
in  the  city  was  $336,559  and  at  one-half  per  cent  that  it  would 
bring  in  taxes  a  total  of  $1,632.79,  which  sum  would  be  sufficient 
to  make  all  improvements,  pay  the  debt  and  leave  a  surplus  in 
the  treasury.  As  a  matter-of  fact  the  city's  total  debt  on  Jan- 
uary 1,  1846,  only  aggregated  $875.  Houston,  when  Texas  entered 
the  Union,  was  practically  out  of  debt,  and  on  an  assured  basis 


Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou  75 

of  prosperity  and  the  highway  to  growth  and  influence.  There 
was  published  in  1846  a  book  called  "  Prairiedom, "  a  story  of 
Texas,  written  by  a  "A  Southron."  Pages  84  and  85  of  this 
volume,  mirror  Houston  in  pleasing  fashion  as  an  abode  of  pros- 
perity. The  author  says:  "The  city  of  Houston  is  a  place  of 
active  and  profitable  trade  and  in  its  rise  and  progress  is  as  much 
a  miracle  in  town  making  as  Rochester  or  Chicago.  Houston 
is  the  largest  and  most  nourishing  town  in  the  interior,  second 
only  to  Galveston  in  commercial  importance,  and  must  always 
maintain  its  ascendency  over  any  other  rival.  It  has  now  a 
population  of  from  4,000  to  5,000  inhabitants,  40  stores,  3  com- 
modious public  houses,  several  newspapers,  a  large  cotton  press, 
an  iron  foundry,  two  extensive  stearine,  candle,  oil,  and  beef 
packing  establishments,  a  steam  saw  and  grist  mill,  various 
mechanic  shops,  schools,  and  four  churches,  all  of  which  are  well 
attended  by  an  intelligent,  industrious  and  moral  population. 
In  1839,  only  eight  bales  of  cotton  were  sent  from  this  point, 
in  1844,  7,000  bales  and  in  the  current  year  (1845)  some  twelve 
or  fifteen  thousand  bales  will  probably  be  shipped. ' ' 

Thus  it  is  manifest  that  during  the  Republic,  Houston 
throughly  established  itself  as  a  seaport,  as  a  commercial  man- 
ufacturing and  exporting  city,  and  as  the  home  of  a  cultivated 
and  substantial  people.  It  had  already  become  the  commercial 
emporium  and  the  business  capital  of  the  state  when  annexation 
was  consummated. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  City  Government 


Early  City  Limits.  First  Market  House.  "Reconstruction" 
Administration.  First  Bridge  Across  Buffalo  Bayou.  The 
First  Fire  Company.  Houston  Hook  and  Ladder  Company. 
The  Fire  Department  of  Today.  Early  Police  Officers.  Some 
Old  Police  Notes.  The  Police  Department  Today.  City 
Water  Works.  Houston  Gas  Company.  Contending  with 
a  Big  Debt.  What  Mayor  D.  C.  Smith  Accomplished. 
Mayor  Rice  and  the  Commission  Form  of  Government.  What 
the  Commission  Has  Done  for  Houston. 


Although  Houston  was  founded  in  1836,  and  soon  became 
something  of  a  big  place,  having  city  boundaries,  which  were 
the  bayou  on  the  north,  Walker  Street  on  the  south,  Bagby  Street 
on  the  west  and  Caroline  Street  on  the  east;  her  affairs  were 
under  the  control  of  the  county,  for  the  first  two  years  of  her 
existence.  However  rapid  growth  and  increased  importance  soon 
demanded  a  government  of  its  own,  and  accordingly  an  election 
was  held  in  1838,  and  "incorporation"  having  carried,  appli- 
cation was  made  and  granted,  for  a  charter  for  the  city  of 
Houston  in  1838.  Another  election  was  then  held  and  Dr. 
Francis  Moore  was  elected  the  first  mayor  of  the  new  city.  He 
served  but  one  year,  which  was  the  full  term  of  office  in  the 
beginning.  About  the  first  thing  done  by  the  new  officials  was 
to  extend  the  city  limits,  for  purposes  of  taxation,  for  then,  as 
now,  in  certain  directions,  actual  settlement  had  extended  far 
beyond  the  original  limits.  The  limits  of  the  city  were  extended 
so  as  to  form  a  square,  each  of  the  four  sides  of  which  should  be 
three  miles  in  length,  thus  making  the  area  nine  square  miles,  the 
court  house  being  in  the  center  of  the  square. 

Beyond  the  fact  that  the  city  limits  were  extended,  little  in  the 


The  City  Government  77 

way  of  public  improvements  seems  to  have  been  done  by  the  first 
or  second  city  administrations.'  In  1836,  when  the  Aliens  laid  out 
the  city,  they  set  aside  the  ground,  known  as  Market  Square, 
for  the  purposes  for  which  it  has  always  been  used.  On  a  map 
published  as  early  as  1839  it  is  designated  as  "Congress  Square," 
probably  because  it  is  skirted  by  Congress  Street,  at  that  time 
one  of  the  main  thoroughfares  of  the  city.  This  square  was  used 
as  a  public  gathering  place  by  the  people,  and  later,  traveling 
circuses  pitched  their  tents  there.  In  1839,  the  city  had  a  fine 
market  square  but  no  market  house  beyond  a  big  shed  that  had 
been  erected  for  temporary  use.  Two  Frenchmen,  known  as 
the  Rosseau  Brothers,  had  a  canvas  covered  frame  structure  on 
Preston  Street,  near  the  middle  of  the  block,  fronting  Market 
Square,  where  they  sold  vegetables,  game  and  such  things.  On 
the  square  itself  was  the  big  shed  spoken  of.  This  was  under  the 
control  of  the  city  and  had  a  regular  market  inspector.  This 
first  inspector  was  Thomas  F.  Gravis,  who  gave  his  attention  to 
his  duties  for  one-half  the  market  fees.  Afterwards,  when  he 
found  that  one-half  was  not  enough  for  his  support,  he  asked  for 
and  was  given  all  the  fees. 

On  September  20,  1840,  the  city  council  determined  to  erect 
a  permanent  building,  to  cost  $1,200,  and  the  contract  was  given 
to  Thomas  Standbury  &  Sons,  who  completed  the  structure  at  a 
cost  of  $8,000  to  the  city.  That  contract  for  $1,200  and  the  final 
bill  for  $8,000  read  like  some  of  the  transactions  of  the  city 
fathers  when  the  city  was  under  a  "reconstruction"  mayor  and 
board  of  aldermen  after  the  war.  There  was  no  doubt  a  vast 
difference,  however,  for  in  1840,  Texas  money  was  far  below  par 
in  all  money  markets  of  the  world. 

The  old  market  house  was  a  long,  single  story,  frame  struc- 
ture that  extended  from  the  middle  of  the  block,  facing  Preston 
Street  to  Congress  Street  on  the  other  side.  At  the  end  facing 
Congress  Street  was  a  two-story  building,  the  upper  story  being 
used  as  a  city  hall  and  police  court  and  the  lower  story  as  a 
city  jail  and  in  a  small  structure  adjoining,  built  a  few  years 
later,  were  quarters  for  the  fire  department.  When  the  market 
house  was  completed,  an  ordinance  was  passed  by  which  pri- 


78  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

vate,  competitive  markets  were  outlawed,  and  the  position  of 
market  master  became  a  valuable  one,  a  fact  that  is  attested  by 
there  having  been  ten  applicants  for  the  place  in  1841.  Mr.  E. 
M.  Holmes  was  the  successful  candidate.  In  1845  the  duties  of 
market  master  and  those  of  city  marshall  were  combined  and 
the  honors  and  dignity  of  the  place  were  borne  by  Mr.  William 
Smith,  better  known  as  "Billy"  Smith,  for  the  next  three  years. 
After  the  late  forties,  Captain  R.  P.  Boyce  filled  the  position 
for  several  years. 

Among  other  innovations  made  by  the  "reconstruction" 
administration  of  Houston,  after  the  war,  was  one  by  which  the 
city  surrendered  all  control  over  the  market,  leasing  the  whole 
thing  to  private  individuals.  The  first  lessee  was  a  Mr.  McGregor, 
who  took  charge  in  1869.  In  1871  the  old  wooden  building  was 
torn  down  to  make  place  for  a  new  brick  structure.  This  new 
building  Mr.  McGregor  also  leased  and  held  until  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  in  1876.  This  famous  market  house  should  take  first 
place  among  the  historic  buildings  of  Houston,  for  it  was  not 
only  the  first  really  substantial  building  of  the  kind  erected  here, 
but  it  was  the  first  one,  in  the  construction  of  which,  what  has 
come  to  be  known  as  "high  finance"  methods  were  employed. 
The  history  of  the  construction  of  the  market  house  reads  like  the 
plot  for  a  comic  opera.  In  1871,  Mayor  Scanlan  signed  a  con- 
tract with  Mr.  William  Brady  and  the  latter 's  New  York  asso- 
ciates, for  the  construction  of  the  building  at  a  total  cost  to  the 
city  of  $228,000.  To  pay  for  this  the  city  was  bonded  in  the 
sum  of  $250,000  at  8  per  cent  for  25  years.  The  work  of  actual 
construction  commenced,  but  had  not  progressed  far  when  things 
began  to  happen.  It  was  discovered  that  the  plans  and  specifi- 
cations did  not  call  for  floors  in  some  rooms,  nor  for  plastering 
and  windows  in  others.  No  blinds  or  shades  were  mentioned 
at  all,  and  a  careful  study  of  the  plans  and  specifications,  revealed 
the  fact  that  they  were  scarcely  more  than  in  skeleton  form.  As 
so  many  changes  were  necessary  the  city  concluded  to  make  some 
additional  ones,  and*"put  in  a  theatre  on  the  second  floor  of  the 
building.  There  were  changes  and  counter  changes  until  finally, 
when  the  building  was  completed,  its  cost  was  $470,000  instead 


The  City  Government  79 

of  the  $228,000  originally  counted  on.  On*  the  morning  of  July 
8,  1876,  a  fire,  which  started  in  the  theatre,  totally  destroyed 
the  building.  It  was  insured  for  $100,000,  but  though  it  had  cost 
the  city  of  Houston  nearly  half  a  million  dollars,  the  insurance 
companies  refused  to  pay  even  the  $100,000,  and  rebuilt  the 
market  house  at  a  cost  to  themselves  of  about  $80,000.  This 
new  building  was  also  destroyed  by  fire  in  1901,  and  the  present 
magnificent  city  hall  was  erected  on  its  site. 

Of  course  it  became  necessary  to  issue  more  bonds  to  meet 
the  increased  cost  of  the  famous  market  house,  and  in  order  to 
do  this  it  became  necessary  to  increase  the  city  limits  so  as  to 
have  as  large  a  tax  area  as  possible.  This  was  easy  and  at  a 
stroke  of  the  pen  the  area  of  Houston  was  increased  from  nine 
square  miles  to  twenty-five  square  miles  and  bonds  were  issued 
against  the  entire  territory.  Issuing  bonds  became  such  a  mania 
with  the  "  reconstructionists "  that  by  the  time  the  Democrats 
secured  control  of  the  state  and  passed  a  law  firing  them  all  out 
of  office,  Houston  had  a  bonded  debt  approximating  $2,000,000 
and  had,  to  show  for  it,  an  $80,000  market  house  and  a  sewer 
two  or  three  blocks  long  on  Caroline  Street.  The  new  mayor  and 
aldermen,  appointed  first  by  the  governor  and  then  elected  by 
the  people,  reduced  the  city  limits  to 'the  original  nine  square 
miles,  but  to  reduce  the  bonded  debt  was  not  so  easy.  They 
struggled  with  it  for  years.  Finally  part  of  the  debt  was  paid 
on  a  compromise  basis  and  part  by  issuing  new  bonds  on  the 
reduced  area.  This  worked  a  hardship  on  some  of  the  citizens,  for 
today  property  owners  are  taxed  to  pay  interest  on  loans  nego- 
tiated against  property  still  a  mile  beyond  the  present  city  limits. 

In  early  days  there  was  little  or  no  necessity  for  the  people 
of  Houston  to  cross  to  the  north  side  of  the  bayou.  There  was 
nothing  over  there  to  attract  them  except  hunting  and  fishing, 
and  small  foot-bridges  answered  their  purposes  for  that,  so  no 
bridges  were  built  for  many  years.  Those  coming  to  or  going 
from  Houston,  who  had  to  cross  the  bayou,  did  so  at  a  ford, 
located  at  a  point  which  is  now  the  foot  of  Texas  Avenue.  But 
the  trade  of  Houston  with  the  interior  began  to  increase,  so  a 
suitable  bridge  became  an  absolute  necessity.  In  1843,  such  a 


80  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

bridge,  the  first  to  span  the  bayou,  was  completed.  In  its  issue 
for  December  21,  1843,  the  Morning  Star  said: — 

"The  bridge  over  Buffalo  Bayou  in  this  city  was  completed 
on  Monday.  It  is  100  feet  long  and  16  feet  wide.  The  distance 
between  the  two  piers  is  50  feet.  The  piers  are  26  feet  high,  con- 
sisting of  four  upright  posts  resting  on  a  mud  sill  40  feet  long, 
and  supporting  a  beam  18  feet  long.  The  two  outside  beams 
resting 'on  the  pier  are  supported  by  king  posts  eight  feet  high 
with  braces  25  feet  long.  This  bridge,  though  insignificant  in 
comparison  with  most  of  the  bridges  of  the  United  States,  is 
doubtless  the  longest  and  most  substantial  bridge  that  has  ever 
been  erected  in  Texas." 

The  bridge  was  located  on  Preston  Avenue  and  stood  for 
ten  years,  being  swept  away  in  1853,  when  a  great  rise  in  the 
bayou  occurred.  It  was  replaced  by  a  new  bridge,  known  for 
years  as  the  "Long  Bridge."  It  was  in  fact  a  long  bridge,  for 
its  constructors,  bearing  in  mind  the  fate  of  the  first  one,  took 
steps  to  guard  against  a  repetition  of  that  disaster,  by  placing 
the  two  ends  far  beyond  the  reach  of  possible  high  water  and 
elevating  the  main  part  of  the  bridge  to  what  they  considered 
a  safe  altitude.  No  definite  figures  are  obtainable,  but  as  the 
bridge  began  at  a  point  a  little  over  half  way  between  Smith 
Street  where  it  crosses  Preston  Avenue,  and  the  top  of  the  banks 
of  the  bayou  on  the  south  side,  and  extended  to  a  point  on  the 
north  side  about  half  way  up  the  block  on  that  side,  it  is  evident 
that  the  bridge  was  very  appropriately  named  ' '  Long  Bridge. ' ' 
This  bridge  stood  for  years,  and  while  it  was  more  or  less  dam- 
aged by  several  floods,  it  was  never  swept  away.  After  a  great 
flood  in  the  late  seventies  it  was  remodeled.  The  approaches  on 
both  sides  were  filled  in  and  the  present  bridge  was  constructed 
and  has  stood  there  ever  since. 

There  should  be  a  tablet,  or  monument  placed  on  this  Preston 
Avenue  bridge,  to  mark  the  place,  for  while  it  is  not  the  original 
structure,  it  occupies  the  point  over  which,  for  many  years, 
almost  the  entire  commerce  of  the  state  passed.  Before  the 
Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railway  was  built,  the  entire  cotton 
crops  east  of  Texas  came  to  Houston  in  wagons  drawn  by  from 


The  City  Government  81 

eight  to  twelve  pairs  of  oxen,  and  all  entered  the  city  over 
that  bridge,  and  all  goods  shipped  to  the  interior  went  out  the 
same  way.  It  was  no  unusual  thing  as  late  as  1858-59,  to  see 
wagons  on  the  streets  of  Houston  from  as  far  north  as  Waco.  The 
Houston  merchants  bought  all  the  crops  from  and  sold  all  the 
goods  to  the  interior  planters  and  merchants. 

EveA  before  Houston  became  a  city,  in  name  at  least,  by 
obtaining  a  charter,  steps  were  taken  to  organize  a  fire  company. 
In  1836,  Protection  Fire  Company  No.  1  was  organized.  That 
was  perhaps  the  first  organization  of  the  kind  in  Texas.  They 
had  no  engine  nor  anything  with  which  to  fight  fire,  except 
buckets,  and  their  method  was  a  primitive  one  of  forming  a 
line  and  passing  the  buckets  from  hand  to  hand.  As  crude  as 
this  method  was,  much  good  was  accomplished,  because  executed 
by  an  organized  force  rather  than  an  excited  mob.  Protection 
Company  No.  1  preserved  its  organization  and  identity,  until 
the  old  volunteer  department  was  absorbed  by  the  city  and 
became  the  present  pay  department.  In  the  early  fifties  this 
company  bought  its  first  engine.  It  was  an  old  fashioned  hand 
engine,  but  at  that  day  was  looked  upon  as  a  grand  affair.  It 
was  a  vast  improvement  on  buckets,  at  any  rate,  and  did  a 
great  deal  of  good  work.  Houston  was  growing  rapidly  at  that 
time  and  the  demand  for  better  fire  protection  was  becoming 
more  apparent  each  day.  The  whole  city  being  constructed  of 
wood,  and  the  houses,  in  the  business  part  of  the  town,  being 
jumbled  close  together,  the  fire  risk  became  very  great.  The 
imperative  need  of  better  protection  was  accentuated  in  1858-59 
by  the  occurrence  of  two  great  fires,  one  sweeping 
away  the  block  bounded  by  Main,  Franklin,  Travis  and 
Congress  Streets  and  the  other,  the  block  bounded  by  Main, 
Congress,  Travis  and  Preston  Streets.  In  addition  to  these  there 
was  another  big  fire  that  destroyed  a  number  of  buildings  on 
both  sides  of  Main  Street  between  Texas  Avenue  and  Capitol 
Avenue.  In  1860,  the  warehouse  of  T.  W.  Whitmarsh,  containing 
2,100  bales  of  cotton,  was  burned.  When  the  first  of  these  great 
fires  occurred,  a  number  of  young  men  met  and  formed  Houston 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  1.  This  company  was  organized 


82  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

April  17,  1858.  Its  first  officers  were :  Foreman,  Frank  Fabj  ;  1st 
assistant,  E.  L.  Bremond;  2nd  assistant,  0.  J.  Conklin;  presi- 
dent, Henry  Sampson;  vice-president,  Fred  A.  Rice;  secretary, 
Wm.  M.  Thompson;  treasurer,  S.  H.  Skiff.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were:  J.  C.  Baldwin,  C.  A.  Darling,  Frank  H.  Bailey, 
I.  C.  Stafford,  Ed.  Riodan,  R.  W.  Bowling,  Pete  Schwander, 
Paul  Schwander,  George  A.  Peck,  W.  S.  Owens,  Charles  Nord- 
hausen,  John  S.  Hirshfield,  J.  L.  Talman,  R.  B.  Wilson,  J.  D. 
McNulty  and  John  W.  Clark. 

The  company  entered  at  once  into  active  service  and  accom- 
plished great  good  through  their  well  directed  and  intelligent 
efforts. 

When  the  great  Civil  War  broke  out  in  1861,  the  company 
became  badly  disorganized  because  nearly  all  of  its  members 
entered  the  Confederate  Army.  In  later  years  it  was  the  proud 
boast  of  the  surviving  members  that  there  was  not  a  great  battle 
fought  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Rio  Grande,  that  did  not  have 
an  old  member  of  Hook  and  Ladder  on  the  field.  A  great  many 
of  them  lost  their  lives  during  the  four  bloody  years,  and,  these 
noble  fellows  had  their  names  recorded  in  mourning  and  filed 
in  the  archives  of  the  company,  as  a  slight  tribute  to  their  great 
worth.  During  the  war  the  organization  of  Hook  and  Ladder  No. 
1  was  kept  up  by  those  members  who,  for  one  reason  or  another, 
did  not  go  to  the  front.  The  actual  work  of  fire  fighting  was  done 
by  negroes  under  the  direction  ol  white  officers.  After  the  war 
was  over  the  returning  members  took  up  the  work  where  they 
had  left  it,  new  blood  was  incorporated,  and  the  company  became 
as  active  and  efficient  as  ever.  The  original  idea  of  having 
none  but  gentlemen  in  the  company  was  adhered  to.  A  rigidly 
enforced  set  of  by-laws  demanded  character  and  standing  of  all 
applicants  for  membership.  No  one  being  admitted  until  he  had 
passed  a  searching  investigation,  the  company  preserved  its  early 
reputation,  and  it  became  known  as  the  best  organized  and  most 
thoroughly  drilled  truck  company  in  the  South. 

Four  years  after  the  war,  April  17,  1869,  the  company 
celebrated  the  eleventh  anniversary  of  its  organization  and  elected 
officers.  The  following  roster  shows  the  character  of  men  who 


The  City  Government  83 

formed  the  membership  at  that  time :  Foreman,  Frank  Bailey ;  1st 
assistant,  C.  C.  Beavens;  2nd  assistant,  J.  "W.  McAshan;  presi- 
dent, S.  T.  Timpson;  vice-president,  F.  A.  G.  Gearing;  secre- 
tary, Jesse  C.  Wagner;  assistant  secretary,  L.  F.  DeLesDenier ; 
treasurer,  C.  A.  Darling;  steward,  J.  D.  Johnson.  Members: — 
J.  C.  Baldwin,  H.  P.  Roberts,  O.  L.  Cochran,  C.  S.  Marston, 
R.  W.  Shaw,  P.  E.  Bowling,  J.  A.  Bailey,  George  W.  Gazley,  E. 
L.  Bremond,  Will  Lambert,  Isaac  Siegel,  G.  A.  Gibbons,  H.  M. 
Phillips,  Jules  Albert,  A.  Levy,  J.  M.  Tryan,  C.  Lachman,  H. 
C.  McClure,  W.  B.  Bonner,  A.  J.  Rogers,  J.  B.  Cato,  R,  Cotter, 
A.  Ewing,  Taylor  McRear  and  John  House.  Total,  34. 

Soon  after  the  formation  of  Hook  and  Ladder,  there  was 
another  fire  company  organized,  called  Liberty  Fire  Company 
No.  2.  This  gave  Houston  three  fire  companies  and  in  order  to 
make  them  all  more  efficient  and  useful,  Mr.  T.  W.  House,  who 
was  mayor  in  1862,  determined  to  organize  a  regular  fire  depart- 
ment. He  combined  the  three  companies  into  one  organ- 
ization, known  as  the  Houston  Fire  Department.  Mr.  E.  L. 
Bremond  was  made  chief  engineer,  with  H.  F.  Kurd  and  R. 
Burns  as  assistants.  The  R.  Burns  mentioned  in  the  foregoing 
was  not  Major  Robert  Burns  at  one  time  prominent  in  the 
Houston  fire  department,  but  who  at  that  time,  1862,  was  in 
Virginia  with  the  Texas  Troops  under  Lee.  This  Houston  Fire 
Department  flourished  for  a  little  time  and  then  dropped  out  as 
a  department  leaving  the  individual  companies  to  act  as  they 
saw  fit.  Twelve  years  later  Mr.  J.  H.  B.  House,  under  more 
favorable  conditions,  took  up  the  work  begun  by  his  father,  in 
1862,  and  organized  a  thoroughly  efficient  fire  department.  The 
department  was  reorganized  in  May,  1874.  Mr.  J.  H.  B.  House 
was  made  chief;  Mr.  Z.  T.  Hogan,  assistant  chief  and  Mr.  C.  C. 
Beavens,  second  assistant. 

The  following  companies  composed  the  department:  Pro- 
tection Fire  Company  No.  1,  engine  house  on  Texas  Avenue, 
between  Fannin  and  San  Jacinto  Streets;  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company  No.  1,  on  Prairie  and  San  Jacinto  Streets;  Liberty 
Fire  Company  No.  2,  on  Franklin,  between  Milam  and  Louisi- 
ana Streets;  Stonewall  Fire  Company  No.  3,  on  Travis  Street, 


84  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

between  Prairie,  and  Texas  Avenues ;  Lee  Fire  Company  No.  4 ; 
Brooks  Fire  Company  No.  5,  engine  house  near  the  corner  of 
Liberty  and  MeKee  Streets;  Mechanics  Fire  Company  No.  6, 
Engine  house  on  Washington  and  Preston  Streets.  The  depart- 
ment, thus  organized  in  1874,  constituted  the  nucleus  of  Hous- 
ton's capable  department  of  today. 

Although  the  Houston  Fire  Department  was  not  quite  one 
year  old  on  April  21st,  1875,  a  point  'was  stretched  and  the 
department  celebrated  its  first  anniversary  on  San  Jacinto  Day, 
that  year,  in  grand  style.  There  was  a  great  profession,  in 
which,  besides  the  local  companies,  the  fire  departments  of  Dallas, 
Waco,  Calvert,  Bryan,  Brenham  and  Hempstead  were  repre- 
sented by  strong  delegations.  Col.  J.  P.  Likens  was  orator  of 
the  day.  The  following  local  companies  were  in  line: 

Protection  No.  1,  the  oldest  fire  company  in  the  state,  organ- 
ized in  1836.  Houston  Hook  and  Ladder  No.  1,  organized  April 
17,  1858.  Liberty  No.  2,  Stonewall  No.  3,  and  Brooks  No.  5,  all 
organized  in  the  late  sixties.  Mechanics  No.  6,  organized  October 
28,  1873.  Houston's  Futures,  a  company  of  boys,  had  been 
organized  but  a  short  time,  but  appeared  in  the  procession  drag- 
ing  their  little  hand  engine.  The  following  were  the  officers  of 
the  various  companies  of  the  department: 

Protection  No.  1,  Charles  Wichman,  foreman ;  L.  Ollre,  first 
assistant ;  S.  M.  McAshan,  president ;  Robert  Brewster,  secretary ; 
R.  Cohen,  treasurer.  Hook  and  Ladder  No.  1,  H.  P.  Roberts, 
president;  T.  L.  Blanton,  vice-president;  William  Cameron,  sec- 
retary; 0.  L.  Cochran,  treasurer;  Dr.  T.  Robinson,  foreman; 
J.  C.  Hart,  first  assistant ;  G.  W.  Gazley,  second  assistant.  Stone- 
wall No.  3,  Joseph  F.  Meyer,  foreman;  L.  M.  Jones,  first  assist- 
ant; F.  J.  Frank,  second  assistant;  W.  Long,  president;  F. 
Ludke,  vice-president;  W.  E.  Smith,  secretary.  Brooks  No.  5, 
I.  C.  Lord,  foreman;  William  Alexander,  first  assistant;  J.  C. 
Thomas,  Jr.,  second  assistant;  J.  C.  Thomas,  Sr.,  president;  I. 
Snowball,  vice-president ;  S.  L.  Mateer,  secretary ;  Thomas  Milner, 
treasurer.  Eagle  No.  7,  John  Shearn,  Jr.,  foreman ;  Willie  Van 
Alstyne,  first  assistant ;  Ed  Mather,  second  assistant. 

During  the  year  Mr.  J.  H.  B.  House  had  resigned  as  chief 


The  City  Government  85 

of  the  department  but  continued  to  take  an  active  interest  in  all 
that  concerned  it.  On  his  retirement  the  department  heads  were 
arranged  as  follows:  W.  Williams,  chief;  C.  C.  Beavens,  first 
assistant;  Fred  Harvey,  second  assistant.  In  the  parade  that 
day  the  Silsby,  steamer  of  Protection  No.  1,  was  drawn  by  four 
black  horses,  driven  by  Mr.  J.  H.  B.  House. 

In  1876,  the  Houston  fire  department  had  two  steamers,  one 
extinguisher  engine,  two  hand  wagons  and  one  hook  and  ladder 
company.  The  annual  operating  expense  for  the  entire  depart- 
ment was  about  $9,000.  Ps  membership  was  composed  of 
the  best  and  most  prominent  citizens,  all  volunteers,  and  all  well 
trained  and  effective  firemen. 

In  1893,  the  volunteer  department  was  disbanded  and  the 
paid  fire  department  was  inaugurated.  At  first  it  was  only  a 
partial  pay  department,  being  composed  of  paid  experts,  and 
others  who  had  to  be  on  duty  all  the  time,  and  of  volunteer  fire- 
men who  gave  their  services  free,  whenever  a  fire  was  actually 
burning.  However,  in  1895,  this  halfway  system  proving  unsat- 
isfactory, the  city  took  over  the  whole  department  and. placed 
it  on  the  pay  basis.  Its  success  was  assured  from  the  start,  and 
the  Houston  Fire  Department  entered  at  once  on  its  career  of 
usefulness.  One  or  two  things  have  contributed  to  its  success. 
One  is  that  the  department  has  always  been  as  far  removed  from 
politics  as  possible,  even  under  the  old  administration  conducted 
under  the  mayor  and  board  of  aldermen.  Another  is  that  the 
chiefs  of  the  department  have  always  been  chosen  because  of 
their  fitness  to  administer  the  affairs  of  their  important  office; 
for  their  executive  ability  as  practical  firemen,  rather  than  for 
their  "pull"  as  practical  politicians  and  popularity  among  the 
voters  of  the  city.  But  perhaps  a  thing  that  has  contributed 
most  to  its  success,  is  the  fact  that  in  the  performance  of  its 
duties  it  has  received  the  unanimous  support  and  encouragement 
of  the  citizens  of  all  classes.  Unlike  the  police  department,  it 
has  never  had  to  perform  duties  that  created  strong  animosity 
in  certain  quarters.  Its  progress  has  -been  smooth  and  unob- 
structed, and  today  Houston  has  a  good  and  well  organized  fire 
department.  In  January,  1903,  Houston  had  59  firemen  on  the 


86  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

regular  list  and  a  number  of  others  on  the  waiting  list.  There 
were  at  that  time  20  pieces  of  fire  fighting  apparatus.  Today 
their  are  104  officers  and  men  employed  in  the  Fire  Department 
of  Houston,  and  there  are  30  pieces  of  fire  fighting  apparatus, 
of  which  9  are  modern  steamers  having  a  combined  capacity  of 
5,900  gallons  of  water  per  minute,  and  two  are  chemical  engines 
of  the  latest  design.  The  Department  has  51  horses  in  active 
service.  The  actual  cost  of  maintaining  and  operating  the 
Department  for  the  year  ending  February  28,  1911,  was 
$124,443.76. 

In  early  days,  when  a  man's  reputation  for  personal  courage, 
honesty  of  purpose  and  a  bulldog  determination  to  do  his  duty 
was  established,  he  was  recognized  as  fit  material  out  of  which 
to  make  a  peace  officer.  It  was  the  man's  personality,  rather 
than  his  ability  as  a  business  man,  or  his  ability  as  an  executive 
officer  that  counted.  The  only  executive  ability  demanded  of 
him  was  that  he  be  "quick  on  the  draw"  and  expert  in  the  use 
of  his  pistol.  The  early  peace  officer  had  no  regular  deputies 
nor  had  he  a  "force."  He  was  the  whole  thing  himself,  and 
on  occasions  when  he  needed  assistance,  he  could,  and  did  call 
on  any  citizen  or  citizens  to  help  him.  In  a  newly  settled  place 
like  Houston  in  the  early  days,  there  were  a  number  of  rough 
and  desperate  characters.  Against  such  men  as  these,  a  weakling 
or  a  man  who  did  not  have  a  reputation  for  coolness  and  for  a 
bravery  vastly  superior  to  their  own,  would  have  been  worse 
than  useless  and  would  have  really  added  to  the  criminal  record 
by  offering  himself  up  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  outlaws. 

In  the  very  early  days  police  affairs  were  in  the  hands  of 
the  sheriff,  and  this  condition  prevailed  for  sometime  after 
Houston  had  become  a  chartered  city.  In  1840  or  1841,  Captain 
Newt.  Smith,  one  of  the  heroes  of  San  Jacinto,  was  elected  city 
marshal  and  served  as  such  until  1844,  when  Captain  Billy 
Williams  was  elected  to  succeed  him.  In  the  late  forties  Captain 
R.  C.  Boyce  was  elected  city  marshal  and  held  office  for  a  number 
of  years.  The  city  marshal's  office  was  no  sinecure.  From  1840 
to  1860,  Houston  was  at  times,  particularly  about  election  times 


The  City  Government  87 

and  on  days  of  public  gatherings,  what  one  might  call  in  the 
vernacular  a  little  "wild  and  woolly." 

On  such  occasions  both  the  sheriff  and  marshal  had  their 
hands  full.  There  were  numerous  desperate  characters  here, 
whiskey  was  cheap  and  plentiful  and  the  wonder  is  that  there 
were  so  few  tragedies.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  none  of  the 
three  men  who  served  as  marshal  during  that  troublesome  period 
ever  had  to  kill  a  man.  It  was  not  because  they  were  not  per- 
fectly prepared  and  willing  to  do  so  should  occasion  arise,  and  it 
was  possibly  a  knowledge  of  that  fact,  on  the  part  of  the  desper- 
adoes, that  caused  them  not  to  offer  resistance  when  the  officers 
went  after  them.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  I.  C.  Lord  was 
city  marshal  and  his  administration  was  far  more  strenuous 
than  any  that  preceded  it.  This  was  due  to  the  generally  dis- 
rupted condition  of  society;  to  the  fact  that  the  town  was  full 
of  returned  Confederate  soldiers,  Federal  soldiers,  newly  freed 
negroes  and  worthless  white  men,  known  as  "scalawags"  and 
"carpet-baggers,"  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  stir  up  strife 
between  the  white  people  and  the  negroes.  Killings  were  of 
frequent  occurrence,  and  the  police  figured  in  the  large  majority 
of  them. 

As  bits  of  police  history  are  always  interesting  the  follow- 
ing are  given  here  as  characteristic.  They  are  taken  from  an 
old  book  at  police  headquarters,  called  the  "Time  Book,"  dated 
1882.  A  record  on  the  first  page  reveals  the  fact  that  the  police 
force  in  1882,  consisted  of  a  chief,  a  deputy  chief  and  six  patrol- 
men, the  latter  divided  into  a  night  and  a  day  relief.  Charles 
Wichman  was  chief,  or  city  marshal,  and  W.  W.  Glass  was  deputy 
chief.  W.  H.  Smith  and  F.  W.  McCutchin  were  the  day  force, 
while  B.  F.  Archer,  Jack  White,  James  Daily  and  Nat  Davis 
were  the  night  force.  All  of  these  old  officers  are  dead. 

From  December  23  to  27,  1882,  six  special  policemen  were 
added  to  the  force  to  guard  against  trouble  during  Christmas 
times.  These  special  officers  were  Bill  Paris,  .Fred  Merald, 
Louis  Williams,  Bud  Butler,  John  Kelley,  and  John  Donahue. 

On  November  1,  1885,  officers  described  as  "cow  catchers" 
are  spoken  of  for  the  first  time  in  the  old  record  book.  These 


88  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

were  two  in  number,  J.  E.  Jemison  and  George  W.  Penticost. 
Items  of  personal  interest  are:  "W.  W.  Glass,  resigned  Feb. 
19th,  1886."  Another  "J.  Fitzgerald,  clerk,  June  1,  1886." 
According  to  the  book,  Alex.  Erickson  was  city  marshal  and 
B.  W.  McCarty,  clerk,  in  April,  1892.  James  H.  Pruett  was 
marshal  and  A.  R.  Anderson,  deputy  in  1894.  Deputy  Chief 
J.  M.  Ray  filled  the  same  position  in  January,  1895.  Among 
the  old  tragedies  fatal  to  peace  officers,  recorded  in  the  old 
book  is  this :  ' '  Richard  Snow,  killed  in  the  fifth  ward. ' '  Snow 
was  a  policeman,  but  beyond  the  brief  record  of  the  fact  that 
he  was  killed  nothing  is  said  of  the  tragedy  which  occurred 
March  17,  1882. 

Under  date  of  February  8,  1886,  appears :  ' '  Henry  Williams 
killed  by  Kyle  Terry  at  Market  Square. ' ' 

"March  14,  1891,  J.  E.  Fenn  was  killed  by  Henry  MeGee." 
Fenn  went  into  a  negro  dance  hall  to  make  an  arrest  and  was 
shot  down  by  MeGee,  a  negro  tough. 

Captain  Jack  White,  one  of  the  Sabine  Pass  heroes,  and  for 
many  years  a  police  officer  of  Houston,  died  in  1896  and  is  thus 
referred  to  in  the  ' '  time  book ; "  ' '  Jack  White  died  September  15, 
buried  with  military  honors." 

Under  date  September  17,  1893,  it  was  recorded  that  officer 
Pat  Walsh,  alighting  from  a  street  car,  fell  on  his  revolver  dis- 
charging it  and  inflicting  a  wound  from  which  he  died  later. 
In  another  old  book  at  police  headquarters,  is  recorded  the 
killing  of  W.  A.  Weiss  by  J.  T.  Vaughn,  on  the  night  of  July 
29,  1901.  Vaughn  killed  Weiss  at  Congress  Avenue  and  San 
Jacinto  Street  and  was  himself  killed  the  same  night.  On  Decem- 
ber 11,  1901,  is  recorded  the  killing  of  J.  C.  James  by  Sid 
Preacher,  a  gambler.  Preacher  used  a  shot  gun.  No  sooner  was 
James  down  than  Preacher  turned  and  killed  Herman  Youngst, 
another  policeman.  While  James  was  dying  he  managed  to  get 
his  pistol  out  and  kill  Preacher,  just  as  the  latter  was  starting 
to  run  away.  James  died  at  almost  the  same  moment  that  his 
finger  pressed  the  trigger.  Every  year  has  seen  its  tragedy  in 
the  police  force.  In  1910,  Assistant  Chief  Murphy  was  killed 
by  McFarlane,  a  discharged  officer. 


The  City  Government  89 

Instead  of  the  chief,  deputy  chief  and  six  policemen  that 
constituted  the  police  force  in  1882,  Houston  now  has  a  chief  and 
assistant  chief  and  a  police  force  of  103  policemen.  In  place  of 
the  two  mounted  policemen,  described  as  "cow  catchers"  in 
1885,  there  are  now  18  mounted  officers  and  four  motorcycle 
officers.  Chief  of  Police  J.  M.  Ray,  for  the  year  ending  February 
28,  1911,  reports  the  total  number  of  arrests  made  by  his  depart- 
ment during  the  year  to  have  been  5,928,  classified  as  follows : 

Violating  State  Laws ; 4,525 

Violating  City  Ordinances 716 

United  States  Deserters  2 

Suspicious  Characters 668 

Lunacy 17 


Total  „ 5,928 

During  the  year  there  were  1,753  runs,  covering  2,  691  miles, 
made  by  the  patrol  wagon  during  the  day,  and  1,960  runs, 
covering  3,690  miles,  made  during  the  night. 

Chief  Ray  says,  in  his  report :  "It  gives  me  great  pleasure 
to  report  that  there  has  been  less  crime  committed  in  the  city 
during  the  past  few  months  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of 
the  city,  which  is  not  only  gratifying  to  the  public  at  large  but 
to  the  officers  of  the  department.  Earlier  in  the  year,  before 
Chief  Ray  and  his  assistants  took  charge  of  the  department, 
conditions  quite  the  reverse  of  those  spoken  of  by  the  Chief  had 
prevailed  in  Houston,  and  it  was  this,  no  doubt,  that  led  Mayor 
Rice  in  his  annual  message  to  say: 

"During  the  past  year,  at  different  times,  there  has  arisen 
sharp  criticism  of  the  police  force,  on  account  of  crime  committed 
in  this  city,  and  as  I  am  the  head  of  the  department,  I  have  been 
censured  by  some.  All  crime  is  deplorable,  and  no  police  force 
is  perfect.  Whenever  I  can  find  any  weakness  in  this  or  any 
other  department,  I  shall  weed  it  out ;  but  I  want  to  serve  notice 
in  this,  my  annual  message,  that  I  not  only  stand  for  law  and 
order;  that  I  am  not  only  going  to  enforce  the  law,  but  that 
the  'gun  toter'  and  perjured  criminal  witness  in  the  city,  are 
going  to  be  eradicated,  if  I  have  to  call  upon  every  law-abiding 
citizen  in  the  community  to  assist  me." 


90  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

During  the  year  ending  February  28,  1911,  the  total  cost 
for  maintaining  the  Police  Department,  was  $109,200,  while  the 
revenue  from  fines,  costs  of  court,  etc.,  was  $25,202.60. 

Duff  Voss,  who  made  a  record  for  efficiency  and  courage  as 
deputy  sheriff,  is  now  the  Chief  of  Police  of  Houston,  and  con- 
ditions have  continued  to  improve.  They  are  not  perfect  as  a 
policeman  was  killed  by  a  negro  in  August,  1911,  and  earlier  in 
the  year,  two  policemen  engaged  in  a  pistol  duel  on  Main  Street 
to  settle  a  private  grudge  and  crimes  against  life  are  alarmingly 
frequent  in  Harris  County,  which  has  one  of  the  bloodiest  records 
in  the  United  States. 

A  lax  public  sentiment  and  sharp  criminal  practice  have 
made  it  almost  impossible  to  convict  for  any  kind  of  homicide. 
With  this  exception  the  laws  are  well  enforced.  No  public 
gambling  place  exists  in  the  city  of  Houston,  the  Sunday  closing 
laws  are  rigidly  execated,  the  social  evil  is  segregated  almost 
entirely  and  immoral  houses  are  not  tolerated  in  the  business 
and  residence  sections  of  the  city.  All  city  ordinances  are  well 
enforced,  property  is  well  protected,  and  there  is  a  growing 
sentiment  to  back  the  mayor's  energetic  campaign  against  "gun 
toters"  and  gun  users.  Citizens  are  determined  that  harmless 
bystanding  shall  be  made  a  less  dangerous  occupation  and  hope  to 
see  the  time  come  when  ladies  may  go  upon  the  streets  without 
any  risk  of  being  perforated  by  stay  bullets  fired  in  impromptu 
pistol  duels  of  citizens  and  officers  on  crowded  thoroughfares. 

Until  about  1878-79,  Houston  had  but  little  need  for  water- 
works. To  that  time  water  for  drinking  purposes  was  obtained 
from  under-ground  cisterns  and  that  for  fire  protection  purposes 
from  similar  cisterns  located  at  convenient  points  along  Main 
Street.  When  a  fire  occurred  in  the  resident  part  of  town, 
private  cisterns  were  pressed  into  service.  These  cisterns,  both 
public  and  private,  were  from  twelve  to  twenty  feet  deep  and 
from  eight  to  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  and  held  many  thousand 
gallons  of  water  each.  Their  construction  was  simple.  A  large 
cistern  was  first  dug  of  the  desired  dimensions  and  its  bottom 
and  sides  lined  with  brick,  as  carefully  placed  as  though  a  house 
were  being  constructed.  When  the  brick  work  was  completed 


The  City  Government  91 

the  inner  surface,  sides  and  bottom,  was  plastered  over  with 
water-proof  cement.  As  only  the  water  that  fell  in  the  winter 
was  caught  and  preserved,  the  water  was  delightfully  cool  and 
no  one  ever  needed  ice  water.  But  by  1878  Houston  had  grown 
beyond  the  stage  of  cisterns  and  the  citizens  began  to  realize 
that  they  would  have  to  look  elsewhere  for  their  water  supply. 

On  January  15,  1878,  Mayor  James  T.  "Wilson,  in  a  message 
to  the  council,  drew  attention  to  the  growing  need  for  water- 
works and  sewers.  On  November  30,  1878,  the  city  entered  into 
a  contract  with  Mr.  J.  M.  Loweree  and  his  associates,  to  supply 
the  city  with  water.  January  11,  1879,  an  ordinance  was  passed 
to  amend  the  ordinance  of  November  30,  1878,  authorizing 
Loweree  and  his  associates  to  organize  themselves  into  a  cor- 
poration to  be  known  as  the  Houston  Waterworks  Company. 

On  April  15,  1879,  the  Houston  "Waterworks  Company  was 
organized,  with  Joseph  Richardson,  of  New  York,  president;  T. 
F.  White,  of  Houston  secretary;  William  Runkle,  of  New  York, 
treasurer;  and  Joseph  Richardson,  Daniel  Runkle,  William 
Runkle  and  W.  Steiger,  of  New  York,  and  E.  Pillot  and  T.  P. 
White,  of  Houston,  as  directors.  J.  M.  Loweree  was  named  as 
superintendent.  Books  for  subscription  to  the  capital  stock  of 
the  company,  were  opened  at  the  City  Bank. 

The  company  lost  no  time  in  getting  to  work,  and  the  water 
works  were  completed  in  July  of  that  same  year.  In  August, 
the  water  committee  reported  to  the  city  council  that  the  test 
of  the  system  made  by  them  was  satisfactory  and  recommended 
that  the  contract  be  finally  signed.  The  system  was  a  make-shift 
affair,  and  no  effort  was  made  to  supply  the  city  with  suitable 
drinking  water.  The  water  supply  was  pumped  direct  from 
the  bayou,  and  the  only  use  it  could  possibly  be  put  to  was  for 
fire  purposes.  Still  for  this  it  was  a  great  improvement  on  the 
old  cisterns.  In  the  early  nineties  it  was  discovered  that  an 
abundant  supply  of  pure  artesian  water  could  be  obtained  any- 
where in  or  near  Houston,  and  the  Waterworks  Company  sank 
several  wells.  This  gave  an  abundance  of  pure  drinking  water, 
as  well  as  water  for  other  purposes.  However,  the  company  per- 
sisted from  time  to  time  in  pumping  bayou  water  into  the  mains, 


92  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

which  made  the  whole  system  very  unpopular.  The  city  author- 
ities and  the  waterworks  management  were  constantly  at  war. 
This  continued  until  1906,  when  the  city  of  Houston  purchased 
the  water  plant  from  its  owners,  paying  $901,000  for  it.  The 
city  at  once  increased  the  water  supply  from  artesian  wells 
and  cut  out  the  bayou  water  entirely.  At  the  time  of  the  pur- 
chase, the  private  corporation  was  charging  50  cents  per  thou- 
sand, meter  rate,  and,  as  already  noted,  was  pumping  from  the 
bayou  whenever  it  suited  their  convenience  to  do  so.  The  city, 
so  soon  as  it  got  control,  reduced  the  rate,  and  today  charges 
only  15c  per  thousand  gallons,  and  it  is  all  wholesome  artesian 
water. 

Since  the  waterworks  is  the  only  public  utility  owned  and 
operated  by  the  city  it  is  interesting  to  compare  its  administra- 
tion with  that  of  its  predecessor,  the  private  corporation.  Dur- 
ing the  first  five  months  of  the  commission's  management,  the 
city  saved  in  salaries  alone,  $2,307.88,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  the  pay  of  all  operatives  had  been  materially  increased. 
During  the  same  period,  the  city  showed  a  gain  in  earnings, 
including  hydrant  rentals  formerly  paid  by  the  city,  of  $10,575.35 
and  all  this  with  a  decreased  charge  to  the  consumer  for  the  ser- 
vice. With  a  decreased  consumption  of  fuel,  the  average 
monthly  pressure  was  increased  from  53.5  pounds  in  September, 
1906  to  62  pounds  in  February,  1907.  All  other  public  utilities 
are  owned  by  private  corporations,  yet  they  have  all  put  them- 
selves into  hearty  co-operation  with  the  commission  and  usually 
respond  promptly  to  definite  popular  demands  for  better  and 
more  extended  service. 

The  Houston  Gas  Company  was  organized  in  1866,  by  Mr.  T. 
W.  House,  Sr.,  captain;  N.  P.  Turner,  governor;  J.  W.  Hender- 
son, Robert  Brewster  and  one  or  two  others.  This  was  the  first 
of  Houston's  public  utilities,  and  while  it  did  not  meet  with 
actual  opposition  of  any  kind,  it  did  meet  with  something  harder 
to  overcome — an  almost  fatal  indifference  on  the  part  of  the 
public.  A  plant  was  erected,  mains  were  laid,  and  then  the 
company  had  to  take  up  a  campaign  of  education,  and,  to  actu- 
ally drum  for  customers.  The  hotels,  restaurants  and  public 


The  City  Government  93 

places  that  open  at  night  were  the  first,  and  for  some  time,  the 
only  customers.  But  gradually  the  merits  of  the  "new"  light 
became  apparent  and  homes  and  other  places  became  customers. 
Then  the  company  made  a  contract  with  the  city  to  light  the 
streets,  and  the  use  of  gas  became  general. 

In  1869,  the  company  was  well  on  its  feet  and  was  doing  a 
large  business.  That  year  Mr.  T.  W.  House,  Sr.,  was  elected 
president ;  J.  W.  Henderson,  vice-president ;  S.  M.  McAshan,  sec- 
retary and  treasurer;  and  N.  P.  Turner,  superintendent.  The 
company's  stock  was  commanding  a  premium  and  it  was  evident 
that  Houston  could  and  would  support  such  a  concern.  Perhaps 
the  secret  of  the  success  of  the  company  lies  in  the  fact  that  from 
the  very  beginning  it  has  been  its  aim  to  give  the  public  fair 
treatment  and  to  give  value  received  for  every  dollar  collected. 
Unlike  most  corporations,  the  Houston  Gas  Company  has  been 
run  in  the  interest  of  the  public  from  the  day  of  its  organization, 
hence  it  has  met  with  no  opposition  and  its  course  has  been  free 
and  unobstructed. 

When  the  company  first  began  manufacturing  gas  it  fixed 
the  price  at  $1.50,  and  this  was  never  changed,  not  even  when 
the  strong  competition  of  electric  lights  came  about,  until  in 
1910,  the  price  was  reduced  to  $1.10,  and  on  January  1,  1912, 
it  will  be  reduced  to  $1.00. 

Since  1905  the  company  has  increased  its  capacity  in  every 
way.  The  mileage  of  gas  mains  has  been  increased  from  51 
miles,  in  1905,  to  120  miles  in  1911,  and  during  that  time  the 
company  has  spent  $528,000  on  extensions  and  mains  alone.  In 
1907  the  company  purchased  three  additional  lots  on  (raw ford 
and  Magnolia  Streets,  and  made  &.  contract  witli  a  Philadelphia 
concern  to  build  a  mammoth  gas-holder  OQ  this  property.  This 
holder  is  the  largest  in  Texas.  It  is  100  feet  in  diameter,  150 
feet  high  and  has  a  capacity  of  one  million  cubic  feet.  It  cost 
about  $100,000  to  build  it.  The  use  of  gas  for  heating  and  cook- 
ing has  vastly  increased  the  demand  for  it. 

On  January  1,  1846,  the  city  of  Houston  had  a  debt  of  $875, 
and  had  to  show  for  this  debt,  in  the  way  of  public  improvements, 
a  fine  bridge  over  Buffalo  Bayou,  a  good  wooden  market  house, 


94  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

a  block  long,  and  a  well-built  wooden  two-story  city  hall  and 
city  jail  combined. 

On  January  1,  1875,  when  the  "reconstruction"  mayor  and 
aldermen  had  been  turned  out  of  office  and  the  people  of  Houston 
had  been  given  the  management  of  their  own  affairs,  the  city  of 
Houston  had  a  debt  of  about  two  million  dollars  and  had,  to  show 
for  it,  an  $80,000  brick  market  house  and  a  sewer  about  two 
blocks  long  on  Caroline  Street. 

Of  course  it  was  .out  of  the  question  to  hope  for  any 
growth  or  advancement  of  Houston  with  such  a  debt  as  it  had, 
hanging  over  it.  With  the  last  possible  cent  squeezed  out  of  the 
taxpayers  it  was  impossible  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  debt  and 
to  pay  the  necessary,  current  expenses  of  the  city.  There  was  but 
one  thing  to  do,  compromise  the  debt  that  had  been  so  unjustly 
saddled  on  the  people,  and  if  this  could  be  done,  make  a  new 
start  in  life.  The  very  best  business  men  of  Houston  were  placed 
in  office,  with  the  sole  purpose  of  using  their  business  talent  and 
experience  in  ^n  attempt  to  solve  the  trouble.  Repeated  and 
varied  offers  were  made  to  the  bondholders  but  to  all  of  them 
a  deaf  ear  was  turned. 

Administration  after  administration  took  up  the  burden,  but 
all  were  forced  to  lay  it  down  again.  Suits  were  brought  and 
judgments  were  obtained  against  the  city,  thus  increasing  the 
debt  all  the  time.  Finally  the  people  became  absolutely  desperate 
and  began,  not  only  to  speak  of  the  repudiation  among  them- 
selves but  to  advocate  it  in  the  newspapers  and  advance  argu- 
ments to  prove  the  justice  of  taking  such  a  radical  step.  If 
the  bondholders  were  frightened  by  such  talk  they  gave  no 
signs  of  being  so,  but  remained  obdurate,  quietly  demanding 
their  money.  They  made  it  quite  plain,  too,  that  it  was  hard 
cash  and  no  new  bonds  that  they  wanted. 

Such  were  the  conditions  when,  in  1880,  after  consulting 
among  themselves,  a  committee  of  the  most  prominent  business 
men  of  Houston,  waited  on  Mr.  Wm.  R.  Baker,  one  of  the  great 
men  and  successful  financiers  of  Houston,  and  told  him  that  he 
had  to  become  mayor  of  the  city  and  settle  that  debt.  He  objected 
strenuously,  but  when  told  that  he  would  be  allowed  to  select 


The  City  Government  95 

his  own  board  of  aldermen  and  that  there  would  be  no  opposi- 
tion to  the  ticket,  he  consented.  He  and  those  whom  he  had 
chosen  to  serve  with  him  were  elected  by  practically  a  unanimous 
vote  of  the  people.  At  the  end  of  the  first  two  years  they  had 
accomplished  no  more  than  had  their  predecessors.  They  were 
given  another  trial.  When  their  second  term  expired,  the  city 
debt,  so  far  from  being  settled  was  actually  about  $200,000 
greater  than  when  they  went  into  office.  The  cause  of  this  was 
quite  apparent.  Had  the  bondholders  had  the  framing  of  the 
slate,  they  would  have  chosen  the  very  men  that  the  people  chose, 
for,  with  such  leading  and  prominent  business  men  in  office,  all 
talk  of  repudiating  any  debt  of  the  city  became  impossible. 

Then  the  people  did  what  proved  to  be  the  wisest  thing  they 
ever  did.  They  had  seen  that  the  great  financiers  could  do  noth- 
ing so  they  went  to  the  other  extreme  and  turned  the  affairs  over 
to  what  was  facetiously  called  "the  short  hair"  element.  This 
might  have  proven  a  fatal  error  had  the  people  selected  another 
man  than  Mr.  Dan.  C.  Smith  for  mayor.  At  that  time  he  was 
practically  unknown  to  most  of  the  people,  for  he  had  never 
taken  part  in  public  affairs  and  had  never  sought  office  of  any 
kind.  He  was  the  right  man  for  the  place,  as  results  showed.  His 
co-workers  were  known  as  the  labor  crowd  and  it  was  said  that 
the  city  had  been  turned  over  to  the  labor  element.  This  caused 
the  bond  holders  to  sit  up  and  take  notice  at  once,  for  they 
could  imagine  ' '  repudiation  and  ruin ' '  written  everywhere  on  the 
wall.  They  became  both  willing  and  anxious  to  listen  to  reason 
and  before  Mayor  Smith's  first  term  had  expired,  he  had  the 
city  debt  well  under  way  toward  settlement,  by  compromise ;  and 
at  the  end  of  his  second  term,  the  entire  debt  was  either  wiped 
out  or  settled  on  a  most  advantageous  basis. 

It  must  not  be  presumed  that  the  settlement  was  made 
entirely  through  fear  on  the  part  of  the  bond  holders.  They 
sent  their  representatives  here  and  discovered,  what  the  people 
of  Houston  had  also  discovered,  that  Mayor  Smith  was  a  man 
possessed  of  executive  ability  of  the  highest  order,  that  he.  was 
honest  and  capable  and  that  it  was  his  intention  to  do  what  was 
just  and  right  and  nothing  more.  They  realized  that  it  would 


96  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

be  folly  to  try  to  "dicker  and  dillydally"  with  such  a  man  and 
they  did  not  try  to  do  so.  At  the  end  of  four  years,  Mayor 
Smith  turned  the  city  over  to  his  successor  with  its  affairs  in 
admirable  shape.  The  big  debt  had  been  compromised  on  a 
basis  that  was  fair  and  just  to  both  creditor  and  debtor,  and 
had  been  placed  in  such  form  that  the  city  could  pay  off  the 
bonds  as  they  fell  due  and  could  pay  interest  on  them  without 
cripling  itself  to  such  an  extent  as  to  interfere  with  current 
expenses  and  needed  improvements.  He  also  turned  over  the 
city  on  a  cash  basis,  with  little  or  no  floating  debt.  Succeeding 
administrations  served  with  more  or  less  credit. 

In  1896,  H.  B.  Rice  was  elected  mayor.  He  was  young,  and 
a  well-trained  business  man.  As  mayor  he  had  brought  to  his 
attention,  in  a  practical  way,  the  many  defects  in  a  system  by 
which  the  affairs  of  a  great  corporation,  such  as  a  city  were  often 
turned  over  to  the  management  of  men,  many  of  whom  were 
unfitted  through  lack  of  education  and  training  to  manage  any 
business  at  all.  He  recognized  that  honesty  without  ability  was 
quite  as  harmful,  as  actual  rascality,  and  that  the  affairs  of  the 
city  suffered  through  the  absence  of  business  methods  in  their 
management.  There  was  offered  no  remedy,  however.  He  served 
for  two  terms  and  while  his  administration  was  marked  by 
improvements  in  many  departments,  there  was  room  for  a  great 
many  more,  which  could  not  be  made  under  the  form  of  govern- 
ment then  in  vogue. 

Government  was  through  a  mayor  and  board  of  aldermen. 
Each  alderman  was  elected,  not  by  the  whole  city,  but  only 
by  small  numbers  of  voters  living  in  wards  and  they  necessarily 
represented  many  local  and  conflicting  interests  to  the  prejudice 
of  the  wisest  and  most  economical  administration  for  the  city  as 
a  whole.  Then,  too,  each  alderman  was,  in  a  measure,  inde- 
pendent of  the  mayor  or  of  his  other  fellow  aldermen.  Having 
obtained  his  authority  from  the  votes  of  his  ward  only,  he  recog- 
.nized  no  higher  authority  than  the  ward  and  placed  its  interests 
above  those  of  the  community  as  a  whole.  With  such  methods 
it  was  not  surprising  that  but  little  public  good  was  ever  accom- 
plished, even  when,  as  was  often  the  case,  honorable  and  capable 


The  City  Government  97 

men  were  placed  in  power.  Yet,  such  were  the  conditions  that 
existed  in  every  city  in  this  country  in  1900. 

The  great  disaster  in  Galveston,  September  8,  1900,  forced 
a  change  in  the  form  of  government  in  that  city,  which  seems 
destined  to  be  far-reaching  and  wide  spread  in  its  effects.  In 
their  great  distress  and  seemingly  hopeless  condition,  the  people 
abandoned  the  old  mayor  and  board  of  aldermen  form  of  gov- 
ernment, and  the  governor,  by  popular  request,  appointed 
a  board  of  commissioners,  consisting  of  five  business 
men  to  take  control  of  the  city's  affairs.  The  form 
of  government  was  permanently  changed,  and  though 
the  people  later  elected  their  commissioners,  instead  of  having 
them  appointed  by  the'  state  governor,  the  commission  form  of 
government  in  Galveston  is  today  the  same  as  when  it  was  first 
inaugurated.  Only  a  few  unimportant  changes  and  modifications 
have  been  made.  The  immediate,  beneficial  effects  of  the  Galves- 
ton commission  form  of  government  became  so  apparent  that 
other  cities  began  to  study  it  and  soon  realized  that  in  it  lay 
the  secret  of  successful  municipal  government.  It  seems  para- 
doxical to  say  that  the  most  dangerous  form  of  government  that 
could  possibly  be  devised,  is  the  safest  and  best,  and  yet  this  so 
far  has  proved  true.  With  such  power  as  is  given  under  the  com- 
mission form  of  government,  bad  and  dishonest  men  could  ruin 
and  destroy  a  city  in  much  less  time  and  far  more  effectually  than 
good  and  honest  men  could  build  it  up.  But  in  this  self-apparent 
weakness  lies  its  strength,  for  while  the  public  is  constantly  on 
its  guard,  there  is  only  the  remotest  chance  of  the  reins  of  power 
falling  into  undesirable  hands. 

Four  years  after  its  inauguration  in  Galveston  the  commis- 
sion idea  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  Houston,  and, 
on  the  tenth  day  of  December,  1904,  was  adopted.  A  charter, 
to  suit  the  needs  of  the  new  plan,  was  prepared  by  a  committee 
composed  of  members  of  the  city  council  and  leading  citizens, 
and  became  the  present  city  charter.  It  was  granted  by  the 
legislature  on  March  18,  1905. 

The  following  synopsis  of  an  address  delivered  by  Mayor 
Rice  before  the  Chicago  Commercial  Club,  December  10,  1910, 


98  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

gives  not  only  the  leading  features  of  the  commission,  but  also 
some  of  the  things  that  have  been  accomplished  through  it. 
Mr.  Rice  said:  "The  essential  differences  between  the  commis- 
sion form  and  the  old  form  of  municipal  government  are  three: 

"The  substitution  of  a  smaller  number  of  aldermen,  elected 
from  the  city  at  large,  in  place  of  a  large  number  of  aldermen, 
elected  from  different  wards  or  subdivisions  of  the  city ;  vesting  of 
a  co-ordinate  power  in  the  mayor  as  in  the  city  council  to  dis- 
miss any  officer  of  the  city  government,  except  the  controller, 
at  any  time,  without  cause,  and,  the  essential  provisions  safe- 
guarding the  granting  of  municipal  franchises.  Instead  of  a 
body  of  twelve  aldermen,  elected  from  different  wards  or  sub- 
divisions of  the  city,  under  the  Houston  system,  four  aldermen 
are  elected  from  the  body  of  the  city  by  the  votes  of  all  the 
citizens,  in  the  same  way  in  which  the  mayor  is  elected.  These 
four  aldermen,  together  with  the  mayor,  constitute  the  city 
council  or  legislative  department  of  the  city  government.  The 
executive  power  is  vested  in  the  mayor,  but  by  an  ordinance,  for 
the  administration  of  the  city's  affairs,  a  large  part  of  executive 
or  administrative  power  is  subdivided  into  different  departments, 
and  a  committee  is  placed  over  each  department,  and  one  of  the 
four  aldermen,  nominated  by  the  mayor,  is  what  is  known  as  the 
active  chairman. 

"The  mayor  and  all  four  aldermen  are  members  of  each  com- 
mittee. The  active  chairman  of  the  committee  practically  has 
control  of  the  administration  of  the  department,  unless  his  views 
are  overruled  by  the  whole  committee  but  by  the  organization 
of  the  committees  the  active  chairman  does  his  work,,  to  a  certain 
extent,  under  the  supervision  and  direction  of  the  mayor,  who 
is,  in  the  last  analysis,  the  head  of  each  committee  and  the  person 
in  whom  the  executive  power  of  municipal  government  ultimately 
rests. 

"Under  the  old  system  of  government,  by  which  twelve 
aldermen  were  elected  from  as  many  different  precincts  of  the 
city,  it  frequently  happened  that  unfit  men  came  to  represent 
certain  wards  in  the  city  council.  Now,  unless  a  man  has  suffi- 
cient standing  and  reputation  throughout  the  body  of  the  city  as 


The  City  Government  99 

a  fit  man  for  the  office  of  alderman,  he  will  not  be  elected.  Again, 
each  alderman  under  the  present  system  represents  the  whole 
city.  Under  the  old  system  the  conduct  of  public  business  was 
continually  obstructed  by  a  system  of  petty  log-rolling  going  on 
among  and  between  the  representatives  of  the  numerous  sub- 
divisions of  the  city.  Then,  too,  the  smallness  of  the  number 
of  aldermen  now  affords  opportunity  for  the  transaction  of 
business. 

' '  An  executive  session  is  held  previous  to  each  meeting  of  the 
city  council,  at  which  matters  to  come  before  the  council  are 
discussed  and  action  determined  on.  The  small  number  of  alder- 
men enables  the  city  administration  to  act  on  all  matters  of 
importance  as  a  unit.  In  other  words,  the  system  makes  it  possi- 
ble to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  city  in  a  prompt  and  business- 
like way. 

"This  is  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  in  favor  of  the 
present  commission  form  of  government,  for  with  a  majority  of 
the  aldermen  always  in  session,  public  business  can  be,  and  is, 
promptly  attended  to.  It  is  no  longer  necessary  to  go  before  the 
city  council  with  petitions  to  have  something  done.  Any  citizen 
who  desires  to  have  a  street  paved,  taxes  adjusted,  a  nuisance 
abated,  or  anything  else,  has  only  to  call  at  the  mayor's  office  and 
have  the  matter  promptly  adjusted.  After  a  hearing,  the  matter 
is  decided  by  the  council  in  the  presence  of  the»applicant.  To 
illustrate  the  great  difference  between  this  method  and  the  old 
one  the  following  comparison  is  made.  By  the  old  method  a 
petition  was  addressed  to  the  council.  This  was  referred  to  a 
committee,  which  acted  when  convenient.  Then  a  report  to  the 
council  was  made  by  the  committee.  After  the  action  of  the 
council  it  went  to  the  mayor  and  from  him  to  someone  else  for 
execution.  The  people  do  not  pay  their  taxes  for  such  treatment. 
They  want  their  business  attended  to  promptly  and  that  is  what 
is  being  done  under  the  commissioH." 

Mayor  Rice  illustrated  the  promptness  with  which  the  public 
business  it  attended  to  by  relating  the  following  story: 

"A  gentleman,  a  non-resident  of  Houston,  whose  home  was 
in  a  Western  state,  owned  some  property  in  our  city  and  the 


100  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

property  had  been  recently  taken  into  the  city  limits.  Investi- 
gating his  assessment  he  found  that  his  property  had  been  placed 
at  a  much  higher  valuation  than  that  of  his  neighbor.  Being  a 
stranger,  he  called  upon  one  of  Houston's  leading  attorneys  and 
asked  his  advice  how  to  proceed  for  relief.  The  attorney  suggest- 
ed that  they  step  over  to  the  mayor's  office  and  have  the  matter 
corrected.  The  owner  of  the  property  thought  it  would  be  wiser 
for  the  lawyer  to  get  some  of  his  friends  to  sign  a  petition  to  the 
council  so  that  it  would  have  some  weight  with  the  authorities. 
The  attorney  replied  that  this  mode  of  procedure  was  entirely 
unnecessary,  as  Houston  now  had  a  business-like  government. 
They  called  at  my  office  and  stated  their  mission.  I  sent  for  the 
tax  collector,  and  in  an  hour  the  stranger  had  his  tax  receipt  in 
his  pocket.  The  owner  of  the  land  said  that  if  the  case  had 
been  in  his  city  it  would  have  taken  weeks  for  adjustment,  on 
account  of  the  red  tape  in  existence. ' ' 

One  of  the  most  striking  features  of  the  commission  charter 
is  the  power  that  it  confers  on  the  mayor.  Under  its  provisions 
any  officer  of  the  city  except  the  aldermen,  who  are  elected  for 
two  years,  and  the  controller,  who  is  appointed  for  a  term  of 
two  years  and  subject  to  removal  by  the  council  only  for  cause, 
may  be  removed  by  the  mayor  or  may  be  removed  from  office 
at  any  time  at  the  will  of  the  council. 

This  feature  of  the  charter  has  been  subjected  to  more 
adverse  criticism  than  all  the  others  combined,  and  yet  it  has 
proven  in  practice  to  be  one  of  the  best  and  most  fruitful  for 
good.  Because  of  it,  the  city  attorney  does  not  refuse  to  collect 
taxes  and  say  to  the  city  government  that  he  was  elected  by  the 
people  and  is  responsible  to  them  and  that  he  does  not  favor  col- 
lecting taxes.  Because  of  it,  the  chief  of  police  does  not  refuse 
to  enforce  the  criminal  ordinances  of  the  city  and  give  the  same 
excuse  for  declining  to  do  so.  Because  of  it,  the  tax  collector  can 
not  arbitrarily  select  what  ^persons  he  is  to  exempt  from  the 
payment  of  taxes,  and  inform  the  government  that  the  people 
elected  him  and  that  he  is  responsible  to  the  people.  The  mayor, 
under  the  charter  is  the  responsible  head  of  the  government.  If 
things  are  permitted  to  go  wrong,  it  is  his  fault,  and  if  any  officer 


The  City  Government  101 

of  the  city  refuses  to  enforce  the  law,  the  mayor  can  remove  him 
in  five  minutes  time.  Of  course  it  is  imperatively  necessary  for 
the  people  to  select  a  man  of  good  sense  and  character  to  be 
mayor,  but  when  they  have  done  so,  they  will  know  that  he  will 
not  be,  as  under  the  old  system,  a  dummy  and  figure  head  and  a 
helpless  spectator  to  wanton  disregard  of  law  and  mal-administra- 
tion.  This  so-called,  "one-man"  feature  of  the  commission 
embodies  its  whole  aim  and  intention — a  responsible  head  to  the 
city  government,  chosen  by  the  people  themselves. 

When  the  commission  form  of  government  went  into  effect, 
July,  1905,  the  various  departments  were  organized  and  at  the 
head  of  each  was  placed  a  commissioner.  The  school  board  under 
the  commission  has  been  kept  out  of  politics.  On  this  board  are 
democrats,  republicans,  Israelites  and  Christians,  all  working 
without  compensation,  for  the  best  interest  of  the  public  schools  of 
the  city.  The  labor  question  has  been  eliminated  also;  union 
labor  and  non-union  labor  both  work  for  the  city.  The  only 
point  insisted  on  is  that  the  laborer  shall  understand  that  the 
city  of  Houston  comes  first  and  his  organization  second,  when  he 
works  for  the  city.  If  a  commissioner  discharges  an  employe 
in  his  department,  the  action  is  final.  An  appeal  to  the  mayor 
will  do  no  good,  for  so  long  as  the  head  of  the  department  man- 
ages and  works  conscientiously  for  the  city,  the  mayor  will  sustain 
him  and  leave  him  with  absolute  authority.  No  alderman  can 
appoint  a  man  on  the  police  force.  The  mayor  selects  a  chief 
of  police  and  holds  him  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  his  men, 
who  are  all  selected  by  the  chief  himself. 

The  school  board  is  nominated  by  the  mayor  and  confirmed 
by  the  council.  It  in  turn  selects  a  school  superintendent.  The 
teachers  are  selected  for  their  fitness.  No  commissioner  can  even 
suggest  the  name  of  a  teacher  to  the  board.  All  the  commissioners 
have  to  do  is  to  supply  the  money  to  support  the  schools.  Their 
connection  with  the  administration  of  the  schools,  begins  and 
ends  there. 

Another  most  important  change  that  was  made  when  the 
commission  charter  was  adopted  was  that  relating  to  the  matter 
of  franchises.  Under  the  new  charter  no  franchise  can  be  granted 


102  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

for  a  longer  period  than  thirty  years  unless  it  be  submitted  to  a 
vote  of  the  legally  qualified  voters  of  the  city  and  approved 
by  them.  The  expense  of  this  election  must  be  borne  by  the 
person  applying  for  the  franchise.  If  a  majority  of  the  votes 
is  favorable,  the  franchise  may  be  granted  in  the  form  as  sub- 
mitted, but  cannot,  in  any  case,  be  granted  for  a  period  longer 
than  fifty  years. 

The  council  may,  on  its  own  motion,  submit  an  ordinance 
granting  a  franchise  to  the  vote  of  people  of  the  city. 

If  a  franchise  be  granted  for  a  period  of  thirty  years  or  less, 
the  proposed  franchise  shall  be  published  in  the  form  in  which  it 
is  finally  passed  and  shall  not  thereafter  be  changed,  once  a  week 
for  three  consecutive  weeks,  at  the  expense  of  the  applicant. 
And,  if  at  any  time  within  thirty  days  after  its  final  passage,  a 
written  petition  is  presented  to  the  council,  signed  by  at  least  500 
legally  qualified  voters  of  the  city,  then  such  franchise  must  be, 
submitted  to  an  election  of  the  people  to  determine  whether  or 
not  it  shall  be  granted.  No  franchise  in  the  streets,  highways, 
thoroughfares  or  property  of  the  city  can  ever  be  granted  until 
it  has  been  read  at  three  regular  meetings  of  the  council. 

No  franchise  can  be  granted  unless  the  ordinance  granting 
the  same  provides  for  adequate  compensation  or  consideration 
therefor,  to  be  paid  to  the  city,  and  in  addition  to  any  other  form 
of  compensation,  the  grantees  shall  pay  annually  such  a  fixed 
charge  as  may  be  prescribed  in  the  franchise. 

Every  grant  of  a  franchise  shall  provide  that  on  the  termin- 
ation of  the  grant,  the  property  of  the  grantee  in  the  streets, 
avenues  or  other  public  places,  shall  thereupon,  without  com- 
pensation, or  upon  the  payment  of  a  fair  valuation  therefor, 
become  the  property  of  the  city,  and  in  estimating  such  value,  the 
value  derived  from  the  franchise,  or  the  fact  that  it  is  or  may 
be  a  going  concern,  shall  not  be  considered  in  determining  the 
value.  Every  grant  of  a  franchise  shall  provide,  by  forfeiture 
of  the  grant  or  otherwise,  for  efficiency  of  public  service  at 
reasonable  rates,  and  to  maintain  the  property  in  good  order. 
The  city  reserves  the  right  to  inspect  the  books  and  accounts  of 
the  grantee  of  a  franchise,  which  books  and  accounts  shall  be 


The  City  Government  103 

kept  and  reports  made  in  accordance  with  the  forms  prescribed 
by  the  city  council. 

The  charter  reserves  the  right  in  the  city  of  Houston  to  reg- 
ulate the  rates  of  all  public  utility  corporations.  The  charter 
contains  a  referendum  feature  by  which  500  citizens  on  petition 
can  secure  a  vote  on  any  municipal  measure  or  utility. 

The  foregoing  brief  summary  shows  the  means  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  commissioners  by  the  charter  and  their  methods 
of  enforcing  its  provisions.  Now  let  us  see  what  have  been  the 
results  accomplished. 

The  commission  has  now  been  in  active  control  of  the  city's 
affairs  a  little  over  six  years.  Inaugurated  in  July,  1905,  the 
commission  found  a  floating  debt  of  a  little  over  $400,000,  an 
empty  treasury  and  the  city  without  credit.  The  work  of 
retrenchment  and  economy  was  begun  at  once.  Useless  and 
expensive  offices  were  abolished,  while  others  were  consolidated. 
A  national  bank  was  made  treasurer,  allowing  a  salary  of  $50 
per  month  for  clerk  hire,  and  the  bank  agreed  to  pay  interest 
on  all  balances  to  the  credit  of  the  city. 

The  city  attorney  was  instructed  to  file  suits  against  all 
delinquent  tax  payers.  This  alone  resulted  in  the  collection  of 
nearly  $100,000  in  the  first  eight  months  and  during  those  first 
eight  months  of  the  commission's  life,  by  the  strictest  economy, 
$306,202.47  of  the  old  floating  debt  was  redeemed,  besides  paying 
all  current  expenses  promptly  at  the  end  of  each  month. 

Since  the  inauguration  of  the  commission  rule  the  city  has 
wiped  out  its  entire  floating  debt,  and  the  taxpayers  have  been 
given,  out  of  the  treasury,  without  the  issuance  of  a  single  bond, 
the  following  permanent  improvements: 

City  Attorney,  Law  Library  $     974.10 

Assessor  and  Collector,  Block  Book  System 10,000.00 

City  Hall,  Furniture  and  Fixtures 1,123.67 

Police  Department 4,096.03 

Fire  Department,  Buildings  and  Equipment 66,150.45 

Electrical  Department 26,551.21 

Health  Department  6,168.26 

Parks  ..  ..  52,007.53 


104  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Streets  and  Bridges 65,714.10 

Asphalt  Plant 3,000.00 

Auditorium  332,276.02 

Ship  Channel 98,027.40 

Sewers 85,212.18 

Paving  Streets 179,261.96 

Water  Department,  Extension  of  Mains 

and  Improvements 247,932.02 

Wharves  and  Ships  '. 33,109.89 

School  Buildings  , 340,323.65 


Total  Improvements $1,865,757.17 

EXTRAORDINARY  EXPENSES. 

Storrie  Certificates  $     73,300.00 

Refund  Paving  Certificates 120,308.70 

Sinking  Fund  120,220.00 


Making  a  Grand  Total  of $2,179,585.87 

All  of  this  was  paid  out  of  current  revenues,  besides  the 
elimination  of  the  floating  debt  of  more  than  $400,000. 

All  this  has  created  business  confidence  in  the  city  as  a 
government,  and  has  given  it  a  credit  that  it  never  had  before. 
Assessments  have  been  increased  in  a  just  and  equitable  way, 
while  the  tax  levy  has  been  reduced  30c  on  the  $100  valuation. 
The  tax  levy  is  $1.70  on  the  $100.  The  tax  roll  for  1912  will 
carry  a  valuation  of  $80,000,000. 

Moral  accomplishments  have  been  in  keeping  with  material 
feats.  Gambling  houses  have  been  cleaned  out;  variety  shows 
have  been  abolished,  pool  rooms  have  been  closed,  and  the  saloons 
have  been  closed  after  12  o'clock  every  night  and  all  day  on 
Sunday. 

Houston's  experience  demonstrates  to  the  world  that  the 
commission  form  of  city  government  is  decidedly  a  success.  The 
city  owns  the  water  works  but  all  other  public  utilities  are  under 
private  management  and  control.  They,  however,  willingly  and 
cheerfully  cooperate  with  the  commissioners  in  all  efforts  made 
to  extend  their  usefulness  and  to  increase  public  comfort  and 


The  City  Government  105 

safety.  In  1905,  when  the  commission  came  in  power,  the  price 
of  gas  was  $1.50,  Jan.  1,  1912,  it  becomes  $1.00.  The  electric  light 
plant  has  also  made  a  material  reduction  in  its  charges,  the  city 
having  set  the  example  by  reducing  the  cost  of  water  from  50c  per 
thousand  gallons  to  15c  per  thousand.  City  water  is  supplied 
from  44  artesian  wells  with  a  daily  capacity  of  16,000,000  gallons. 
The  average  daily  consumption  is  7,800,000  gallons.  Fire  pro- 
tection is  annually  increased — three  and  one-third  per  cent  in 
1910-11.  The  street  car  company  has  reduced  its  fare  for  chil- 
dren under  12  years  of  age  to  two  and  one-half  cents,  and  pays 
annually  one  per  cent  on  its  gross  receipts  to  the  city.  The  sal- 
aries of  firemen,  policemen,  and  of  some  of  the  employes  who 
have  worked  for  years  and  been  faithful  and  efficient,  have  been 
increased.  These  wonders  have  been  wrought  in  the  short  period 
of  six  years  and  it  is  worthy  of  attention  that  most  of  them  were 
assured  facts  before  the  expiration  of  the  first  three  years  of  the 
commission's  life.  The  people  have  grown  to  have  large  con- 
fidence in  the  commission,  give  it  their  heartiest  support  and 
unite  with  it  in  its  efforts  to  build  up  Houston. 

Under  the  commission  the  mayor  is  practically  an  autocrat. 
The  commissioners  are  largely  secretaries  in  charge  of  their  func- 
tions. In  one  case  a  commissioner,  who  displeased  the  mayor 
was  deprived  of  all  participation  in  the  city  government  during 
the  remainder  of  his  term.  Not  a  speech  has  ever  been  made  in 
the  city  council  under  the  commission  form  of  government. 

In  1911,  the  office  of  Superintendent  of  Complaints  was 
created  as  a  buffer  between  the  city  council  and  the  public 
service  corporations.  Any  citizen  can  at  once  register  com- 
plaint against  any  public  service  or  utility  corporation  and 
attention  is  at  once  paid  to  them.  This  office  is  filled  by  J.  Z.  Gas- 
ton,  formerly  city  commissioner,  who  first  advocated  the  com- 
mission form  of  government  in  a  public  speech  in  Houston  and 
who  is  called  here  "the  father  of  the  commission  form  of  gov- 
ernment. ' ' 

The  roster  of  the  present  city  commission  officials,  com- 
mittees department  heads  and  boards  is,  August,  1911,  as  follows : 


106  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

CITY  OFFICIALS. 

Mayor,  H.  B.  Rice;  Mayor,  pro.  tern.,  Jack  Kennedy;  Com- 
missioners, J.  J.  Pastoriza,  Jack  Kennedy,  Robert  L.  Jones,  W. 
J.  Kohlhauff;  Water  Committee,  R.  L.  Jones,  Chairman,  J.  J. 
Pastoriza,  Jack  Kennedy,  W.  J.  Kohlhauff;  Street  and  Bridge 
Committee,  Jack  Kennedy,  Chairman,  W.  J.  Kohlhauff,  Robert 
L.  Jones,  J.  J.  Pastoriza ;  Fire  Committee,  W.  J.  Kohlhauff,  Chair- 
man, Jack  Kennedy,  J.  J.  Pastoriza,  Robert  L.  Jones ;  Ordinance 
Committee,  Jack  Kennedy,  Chairman,  W.  J.  Kohlhauff,  Robert 
L.  Jones;  Board  of  Appraisement,  J.  J.  Pastoriza,  Chairman, 
W.  J.  Kohlhauff,  James  P.  Welsh. 

HEADS  OF  DEPARTMENTS. 

T.  C.  Dunn,  Active  Vice-President  of  the  Union  National 

Bank,  Treasurer 

D.  G.  Smith,  Jr _..  Controller  and  Secretary 

Miss  Roberta  Cotter Assistant  Secretary 

Jno.  A.  Kirlicks Judge  Corporation  Court 

W.  H.  Wilson  ...  City  Attorney 

J.  E.  Niday Assistant  City  Attorney 

Frank  L.  Dormant  City  Engineer 

James  P.  Welsh  Assessor  and  Collector 

Dr.  Geo.  W.  Larendon  _ City  Health  Officer 

Dr.  F.  J.  Slataper Bacteriologist 

Duff  Voss  Chief  of  Police 

W.  X.  Norris Building  Inspector 

Nelson  Munger  Purchasing  Agent 

F.  J.  Ollre Market  Master 

C.  R.  George City  Electrician 

R.  F.  Ollre Chief  of  the  Fire  Department 

M.  Murphy '. Wharf  Master 

E.  R.  Parker  Fire  Marshall 

Board  of  Liquidation  :  F.  A.  Reichardt,  Ed.  H.  Harrell, 
O.  T.  Holt,  B.  F.  Bonner,  H.  W.  Garrow. 

Board  of  Health:  Dr.  Joe  Stuart,  President;  Dr.  W.  A. 
Archer,  Dr.  J.  W.  Scott,  Dr.  Sidney  J.  Smith,  Dr.  J.  D.  Duckett. 
Dr.  S.  H.  Hillen. 


The  City  Government  107 

BOARD  OF  SCHOOL  TRUSTEES. 

President,  Rufus  Cage;  vice-president,  B.  B.  Gilmer;  sec- 
retary, A.  S.  Cleveland.  Finance  Committee:  G.  H.  Pendarvis, 
Sam  Swinford,  B.  B.  Gilmer.  Teachers  Committee:  A.  S. 
Cleveland,  J.  D.  Duckett,  B.  B.  Gilmer.  Course  of  Study  and 
Text  Books :  S.  McNeill,  A.  S.  Cleveland,  Sam  Swinford.  School 
Property,  Purchase  and  Repairs :  B.  B.  Gilmer,  G.  H.  Pendarvis, 
S.  MeNeill.  Hygiene:  J.  D.  Duckett,  G.  H.  Pendarvis,  S. 
McNeill.  School  Medical  Inspector :  Dr.  "W.  "W.  Ralston.  Griev- 
ances and  Complaints:  Sam  Swinford,  J.  D.  Duckett,  A.  S. 
Cleveland.  W.  Peine,  Business  Representative  of  the  Board. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  city  hall  has  been  destroyed  by 
fire,  twice,  there  are  very  few  official  documents  in  existence 
relating  to  the  early  history  of  the  city.  Major  Ingham  S. 
Roberts,  whose  family  was  a  pioneer  in  Houston,  gives  a  list  of 
the  mayors  of  Houston,  compiled  from  various  sources  which 
differs  from  other  lists  and  the  recollections  of  the  ' '  oldest  inhab- 
itants" by  claiming  that  Dr.  Francis  Moore  was  not  the  first 
mayor  of  Houston,  as  all  historians  and  writers  have  given  him 
credit  for  being.  In  the  Telegraph  of  September  29,  1837, 
Major  Roberts  found  a  notice  of  a  special  election  to  fill  vacancies 
left  by  aldermen  Hugh  McCrory  and  Leman  Kelcy,  deceased, 
which  notice  was  signed  by  James  S.  Holman,  mayor.  On  this 
evidence  he  transfers  to  Mr.  Holman  the  honor  of  having  been 
the  first  mayor  of  Houston.  Major  Roberts  may  be  correct  or 
it  may  be  that  in  the  case  of  a  delayed  election,  Mr.  Holman 
was  an  appointed  mayor  pro  tern.  The  complete  list,  as  pre- 
pared by  Major  Roberts  and  published  by  him  in  The  Historical 
Review,  of  southeast  Texas,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  editors, 
is  followed  as  to  order  of  names  here: 

1837,  James  S.  Holman;  1838,  Francis  Moore,  Jr.;  1839, 
George  W.  Lively;  1840,  Charles  Biglow;  1841-42,  John  D. 
Andrews;  1843,  Francis  Moore,  Jr. ;  1844,  Horace  Baldwin;  1845, 
W.  W.  Swain;  1846,  James  Baily;  1847-48,  B.  P.  Buckner;  1849- 
52,  Francis  Moore ;  1853-54,  Col.  Nathan  Fuller ;  1855-56,  James 
H.  Stevens;  1857,  Cornelius  Ennis;  1858,  Alexander  McGowan; 
1859,  W.  H.  King;  1860,  T.  W.  Whitmarsh;  1861,  W.  J. 


108  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Hutchins ;  1862,  T.  W.  House,  Sr. ;  1863-4-5,  William  Andrews ; 
1866,  H.  D.  Taylor. 

In  1867,  Alexander  McGowan  was  elected  mayor,  but  on 
December  5,  of  that  year,  General  J.  T.  Reynolds,  commander 
of  this  military  district,  took  semi-military  control  of  the  city's 
affairs  and  left  the  mayor  with  only  nominal  authority.  This 
state  of  affairs  continued  until  August  8,  1868,  when  Governor 
E.  J.  Davis  turned  McGowan  out  of  office  and  appointed  J.  R. 
Morris  in  his  place.  At  the  same  time  he  appointed  T.  H. 
Scanlan  an  alderman  from  the  Third  ward.  In  September, 
Judge  B.  P.  Fuller,  the  recorder  and  I.  C.  Lord,  the  city  marshal, 
were  removed  by  Davis  and  their  places  filled  by  J.  G.  Tracy, 
as  recorder,  and  Capt.  A.  K.  Taylor,  as  marshal.  Captain  Taylor 
became  disgusted  and  quit  and  was  succeeded  by  Capt.  M.  E. 
Davis. 

But  the  governor  grew  tired  of  taking  merely  cherry-bites 
and,  in  1870,  made  a  clean  sweep,  turning  everybody  out  who 
had  been  elected  by  the  people  and  putting  in  his  own  hench- 
men. He  appointed  T.  H.  Scanlan  mayor,  and  made  four 
negro  aldermen.  That  was  the  beginning  of  scallawag  and 
carpet-bag  rule  in  Houston. 

In  1872,  a  so-called  election  was  held,  and,  by  importing 
negroes  from  the  adjoining  counties  to  vote  the  republican  ticket, 
and  obstructing  the  white  voters  in  every  way,  Scanlan  and 
his  negro  associates  were  declared  elected. 

At  the  state  election,  held  in  November,  1873,  the  democrats 
secured  control  of  the  state.  In  January,  1874,  the  charter  of 
Houston  was  amended  and  under  its  provisions  Governor  Rich- 
ard Coke  appointed  all  the  city  officials  of  Houston.  T.  H. 
Scanlan  and  his  negroes  were  ousted  and  J.  T.  D.  Wilson 
was  appointed  mayor  and  a  board  of  aldermen,  consisting  of 
representative  citizens,  was  put  in.  Soon  after  that  an  election 
was  held  and  Mr.  Wilson  was  elected  mayor  in  regular  form. 
His  successors  have  been: 

1875-76,  I.  C.  Lord;  1877-78,  J.  T.  D.  Wilson;  1879,  A.  J. 
Burke;  1880-84,  W.  R.  Baker;  1886-88,  D.  C.  Smith;  1890,  Henry 
Scherffius;  1892-94,  John  T.  Browne;  1896,  H.  Baldwin  Rice; 
1898-1900,  Sam  H.  Brashear ;  1902,  0.  T.  Holt ;  1904,  Andrew  L. 
Jackson;  1905-1911,  H.  Baldwin  Rice,  who  is  still  in  office. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Bench  and  Bar 


High  Character  of  Early  Lawyers.  First  District  Court.  Early 
Legal  Documents.  Great  Criminal  Lawyers.  Ex-Governor 
Henderson 's  Butcher  Knife.  Members  of  Early  Bar.  Crim- 
inal and  District  Court  Judges.  The  County  Court  and 
Its  Judges.  Judge  Hamblen's  Reminiscences.  Harris 
County  Bar  Association.  Houston  as  a  Source  of  Legal 
Business. 


It  is  true  of  every  nation 's  pioneer  history  that  ' '  there  were 
giants  in  those  days."  Such  names  as  Campbell,  Tankersley, 
Gray,  Palmer,  Henderson,  Manley,  Riley,  Thompson,  Tompkins 
and  a  number  of  others,  who  established  the  high  standard  for  the 
Houston  Bar  at  the  very  beginning,  are  sufficient  to  prove  this 
true  of  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  this  city.  In  the  beginning  Harris 
County  was  known  as  Harrisburg  County,  and  court  has  been 
held  here  since  1837. 

The  first  record  entry  of  proceedings  of  the  Harrisburg 
(Harris)  County  Court  shows  that  the  court  was  thus  consti- 
tuted : 

Hon.  Andrew  Briscoe,  chief  justice;  C.  C.  Dyre,  M.  Battle, 
John  Denton,  Joel  Wheatin,  Isaac  Batterson,  Abram  Roberts, 
and  John  S.  McGahey,  commissioners.  D.  W.  Clinton  Harris, 
county  clerk.  The  chief  business  of  the  term  was  granting 
ferry  privileges,  but  public  roads  were  promoted  to  some  extent. 
On  petition  of  B.  Fort  Smith,  commissioners  were  appointed 
to  lay  off  a  road  to  the  county  line,  towards  Washington ;  others 
to  survey  a  line  for  a  road  to  Liberty,  via  Harrisburg  and 
Lynchburg. 

D.  W.  Clinton  Harris  belonged  to  the  family  that  gave  the 
county  its  name.  Judge  Andrew  Briscoe  was  the  father  of 


110  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Mrs.  M.  Looscan  and  of  Mrs.  M.  G.  Howe.  His  widow,  Mrs. 
Mary  Briscoe,  long  survived  him. 

Several  incidents  of  early  justice  and  the  founding  of  the 
courts  have  been  recounted  in  an  earlier  chapter.  The  members 
of  the  first  petit  jury  were :  Berry  Beasley,  Sam  M.  Harris,  Archie 
Hodges,  J.  James  Perchouse,  D.  S.  Harbert,  Edward  Dickinson, 
John  Woodruff,  Marsh  McKever,  Elliot  Hodges,  Lemar  Celcey, 
John  0  'Brien  and  Joseph  A.  Harris.  The  jury  rendered  a  verdict 
of  justifiable  homicide  in  the  case  of  Joseph  T.  Bell,  and  the 
prisoner  was  discharged. 

The  first  judicial  act  in  the  municipality  of  Harrisburg,  as 
Harris  County  was  first  called,  was  in  the  probate  court.  Hon. 
A.  Briscoe,  judge  of  that  court,  on  petition  of  Richard  Vince, 
by  the  latter 's  attorney,  Thomas  J.  Gazley,  appointed  Vince 
administrator  of  the  estate  of  Robert  Vince,  deceased. 

The  first  licenses  to  practice  law  in  Harris  County  were 
issued  to  N.  Bassett,  Swift  Austin,  Francis  W.  Thornton,  Robert 
Page,  Henry  Humphrey  and  James  Brown  on  March  19,  1838, 
these  gentlemen  having  successfully  passed  an  examination  con- 
ducted by  David  G.  Burnett,  John  Birdsall  and  A.  M.  Tompkins, 
a  committee  of  examiners  appointed  by  the  court. 

One  of  the  earliest  cases  was  that  against  David  S.  Kerker- 
not,  who  was  indicted  March  2,  1837,  for  filching  a  mule  belong- 
ing to  the  Republic  of  Texas,  which  act  was  declared  to  be 
"against  the  peace  and  dignity  of  said  Republic."  Another 
indictment  was  returned  by  the  grand  jury  against  the  same 
man  in  December,  1838,  and  seems  to  refer  to  the  same  case,  for 
the  indictment  declares  that  he  took  the  mule  "with  force  and 
arms."  This  man  Kerkernot  appears  to  have  occupied  much 
of  the  time  of  the  courts,  for  in  the  September  term  of  1837  he 
was  plaintiff  and  William  Scott,  defendant,  in  a  suit  where  the 
title  to  177  acres  of  land  on  the  San  Jacinto,  granted  to  Stephen 
P.  Austin,  was  in  controversy.  One  of  the  early  documents 
relates  to  a  suit  brought  by  the  city  of  Houston  against  Henry 
R.  and  Samuel  J.  Allen  for  taxes,  amounting  to  $1,943.  The 
suit  was  filed  in  1839. 

There  were  many  able  and  brilliant  members  of  the  early 


The  Bench  and  Bar  111 

Houston  Bar.  The  large  majority  of  these  confined  themselves 
to  the  practice  of  civil  law  but  one  or  two  won  name  and  fame 
as  criminal  lawyers.  This  latter  field  was  very  exacting,  for 
legal  ethics  were  on  a  high  plane  and  the  lawyer  who  attempted 
to  win  a  case  by  chicanery  or  doubtful  methods  was  generally 
reduced  to  the  level  of  the  police  court  where  such  men  properly 
belong.  In  the  days  of  Manley,  Henderson,  Barziza,  Riley, 
Cook  and  one  or  two  others,  the  criminal  lawyer  used  no  con- 
venient witness,  or  fixed  juries,  but  depended  entirely  on  his 
knowledge  of  law  and  his  eloquence  as  a  pleader,  to  win  his 
cases.  For  a  man  to  have  fame  as  a  great  criminal  lawyer  in 
those  days  was  looked  upon  as  an  honor. 

Col.  John  H.  Manley  was  one  of  the  greatest  criminal 
lawyers  who  has  ever  practiced  at  the  Houston  Bar.  His  methods 
were  strictly  ethical  and  no  man  was  better  equipped  mentally 
than  he  for  the  difficult  tasks  he  undertook.  He  had  a  thorough 
and  profound  knowledge  of  criminal  law  and  combined  with  all 
this  he  was  an  eloquent  orator  and  pleader.  Members  of  the  bar 
refer  to  him  as  a  perfect  type  for  a  model  lawyer. 

In  the  same  category  with  Colonel  Manley,  was  Captain  D. 
U.  Barziza.  His  history  is  remarkable  in  many  respects  and 
will  bear  telling  briefly.  His  father  was  an  Italian  nobleman, 
who  had  the  good,  or  bad  fortune  of  thinking  for  himself  on 
many  subjects,  among  them  being  religion  and  forms  of  govern- 
ment. He  was  a  protestant,  a  Baptist,  and  a  republican.  He 
longed  for  a  freedom  that  Italy  could  not  offer,  so  he  gave  up 
his  estate  and  title  and  came  to  America.  Finally  he  settled 
in  Texas.  Captain  D.  U.  Barziza,  his  youngest  son  was  educated 
at  Baylor  University,  at  Independence,  and  had  just  completed 
his  course  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out.  He  volunteered  at 
once  and  was  made  captain  of  one  of  the  companies  that  after- 
wards formed  part  of  Hood's  Texas  Brigade  in  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia.  His  army  record  was  a  brilliant  one.  After 
the  surrender,  he  came  to  Houston,  and  in  order  to  support  him- 
self he  secured  a  place  as  night  clerk  at  the  old  Rusk  Hotel. 
Here  he  studied  law  and  looked  after  the  comfort  of  belated 
travelers  for  several  months.  He  had  no  law  practice  and,  as 


112  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

it  seemed,  no  way  of  ever  getting  any.  But  his  opportunity  came. 
Captain  John  Steel  killed  Colonel  Kirby,  apparently  in  cold 
blood,  in  the  office  of  the  military  commander  of  the  post  here. 
Steel  shot  Kirby  down  on  sight,  without  a  word.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  Steel's  provocation  had  been  great  and  a  bitter  feud  had 
existed  between  the  two  men  for  years.  On  its  face  the  case  was 
one  of  cold-blooded  murder.  Steel  was  a  prominent  and  well- 
known  gambler,  while  Kirby  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  great 
power  and  influence.  Barziza  recognized  his  opportunity  and 
promptly  volunteered  to  defend  Steel.  His  services  were 
accepted.  Able  and  prominent  lawyers  were  employed  by 
Kirby 's  friends  to  assist  the  state's  attorney  in  the 
prosecution  of  Steel.  Barziza  refused  all  proffers  of 
assistance.  The  trial  lasted  for  two  or  three  days  and 
by  the  time  it  had  gotten  under  way,  the  lawyers  for  the 
prosecution  realized  that  they  had  a  giant  to  contend  against. 
Barziza 's  handling  of  the  case  excited  the  admiration  of  other 
members  of  the  bar,  but  his  great  triumph  came  when  he  went 
before  the  jury  to  plead  the  case.  The  speech  he  made  that  day 
was  spoken  of  for  years  afterwards  as  the  most  eloquent  that 
had  ever  been  delivered  in  the  Harris  County  court  house.  It 
was  so  eloquent  and  his  arguments  were  so  convincing  that 
the  jury,  after  the  briefest  deliberation,  returned  a  verdict  of 
"not  guilty,"  and  Steel  walked  out  a  free  man.  Barziza 's 
reputation  as  a  criminal  lawyer  was  established  at  once. 

Another  of  the  great  criminal  lawyers  of  Houston  was  the 
Hon.  Charles  Stewart.  He  was  a  man  of  unsullied  character 
and  too  big  in  every  way  for  little  things.  He  was  of  splendid 
physique  and  personal  appearance  and  is  described  one  of  the 
most  superb  orators  that  ever  faced  a  jury.  He  handled  many 
of  the  most  famous  criminal  cases  tried  in  Harris  County  in 
the  late  seventies  and  eighties,  one  of  the  most  famous  being  that 
of  a  young  man  named  Grisom,  who  had  killed  a  doctor  for 
reproving  him  for  swearing  in  the  presence  of  ladies.  The  case 
was  a  desperate  one,  and  at  the  first  trial  Grisom  had  been  sen- 
tenced to  death,  but  was  granted  a  new  trial  because  of  irregular- 
ity on  the  part  of  the  jury  that  had  condemned  him.  At  the 


The  Bench  and  Bar  113 

second  trial  the  prosecution  was  powerful  and  it  is  said  that  hut 
for  the  eloquence  of  Colonel  Stewart,  Grisom  would  have  undoubt 
edly  been  hanged.  As  it  was  he  escaped  with  a  verdict  of  man- 
slaughter and  a  short  term  in  the  peniten  iary. 

The  man  to  whom  was  assigned  the  difficult  task  of  facing 
these  giants,  was  Major  Frank  Spencer,  who  for  years  was  the 
criminal  district  attorney  for  the  Houston-Galveston  district, 
and  who  died  in  Galveston  in  1907.  He  was  very  eloquent, 
very  bitter  and  very  aggressive.  He  attacked  unceasingly  and 
when  a  lawyer  won  a  victory  over  him  he  deserved  all  he  got. 

A  connecting  link  between  the  famous  criminal  and  civil 
lawyers  of  the  early  days  was  Governor  J.  W.  Henderson.  He 
did  a  large  and  very  lucrative  practice  in  both  branches  and 
appeared  to  be  as  much  at  home  in  the  one  as  in  the  other.  Per- 
haps, though,  he  was  more  distinguished  as  a  civil  lawyer  than 
as  a  criminal  one.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance 
and  to  some  extent  a  self-made  man.  He  cultivated  a  brusqueness 
of  manner  and  was  extremely  democratic,  counting  among  his 
friends  and  adherents  people  of  all  conditions  and  walks  of  life. 
He  was  a  natural  orator,  a  deep  thinker,  and  had,  what  was  of 
the  greatest  value,  good  hard  common  sense  and  the  ability 
to  put  it  to  the  best  use  at  the  proper  moment.  His  success  at 
the  bar  was  great.  Before  a  jury  he  -was  almost  irresistable.  The 
Governor  was  a  secessionist  and  died  an  unreconstructed  rebel. 
During  reconstruction  days  he  was  a  power  of  strength  to  the 
home  people  in  their  struggle  for  self  government,  and  never 
lost  an  opportunity  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  usurpers.  His  zeal 
and  energy  in  that  respect  were  so  well  known  that  he  was 
watched  and  feared  by  the  republican  leaders,  more  than  any 
other  man  in  Houston.  One  night,  entirely  unintentionally  on 
his  part,  he  came  near  precipitating  a  riot  on  Preston  Street. 
The  Governor  had  gone  into  one  of  the  stores  on  Main  Street 
and  purchased  a  long  carving  knife  to  take  home.  It  was 
wrapped  in  brown  paper,  and  being  too  long  to  put  in  his  pocket, 
he  carried  it  under  his  arm.  On  his  way  home  he  heard  that 
Jack  Hamilton  was  to  speak  from  the  balcony  of  the  Dissen 
House  that  evening,  so  the  Governor  concluded  to  remain  down 


114  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

town  and  hear  him.  He  arrived  rather  late,  but  becoming  inter, 
ested  in  what  Hamilton  was  saying,  he  kept  getting  closer  and 
closer  until  he  was  within  a  few  feet  of  the  speaker.  Then  the 
Governor  and  the  spectators  were  amazed  and  startled,  for  four 
or  five  men  jumped  on  the  Governor  and  held  him  firmly.  There 
was  a  terrible  uproar  and  the  affair  was  becoming  serious,  when 
someone  found  the  cause  of  the  trouble.  In  getting  through 
the  crowd  the  paper  cover  of  the  carving  knife  had  been  torn 
off,  and  some  of  the  watchful  friends  of  Hamilton  concluded  that 
the  Governor  was  slipping  up  on  the  speaker  to  annihilate  him 
with  the  carving  knife,  had  seized  the  Governor  and  disarmed 
him.  The  Governor  was  furious,  but  when  the  crowd  learned 
the  cause  of  the  trouble,  the  laughter  broke  up  the  speaking. 
Governor  Jack  Hamilton,  who,  though  a  republican,  was  a 
warm  personal  friend  of  Governor  Henderson  was  about  as  indig- 
nant as  tho  latter,  when  he  found  what  had  been  done. 

Among  those  who  confined  their  practice  to  civil  law  Judges 
Peter  Gray  and  W.  P.  Hamblen,  both  through  ability  and  long 
service,  deserve  to  be  placed  at  the  head  of  the  list.  Both  were 
men  of  the  greatest  integrity  and  each  had. marked  ability  as  a 
lawyer.  Neither  was  peculiarly  remarkable  for  oratorical  power 
but  each  was  a  profound  scholar  and  well  versed  in  the  intricacies 
of  the  law.  They  are  classed  together  in  this  way  because  they 
were  the  nestors  of  the  Harris  County  Bar  and  their  careers 
were  very  similar.  Judge  Hamblen  died  in  1911  as  judge  of 
the  55th  district  court,  which  office  he  had  held  for  many  years. 

Among  the.  other  distinguished  members  of  the  Bar  in  early 
days  were:  Benjamin  Tankersly,  E.  A.  Palmer,  A.  N.  Jordan, 
S.  S.  Tompkins,  A.  P.  Thompson,  A.  S.  Richardson,  Charles 
Jordan  and  Archibal  Wynne.  For  some  years,  later,  C.  B. 
Sabine  was  a  member  of  the  Harris  County  Bar.  He  was  after- 
wards Judge  of  the  U.  S.  Federal  Court  in  Galveston. 

Among  the  prominent  members  of  the  Bar  after  the  war, 
were :  Major  W.  H.  Crank,  Captain  E.  P.  Turner,  George  Golth- 
waite,  the  attorney  for  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad, 
and  known  as  the  "Supreme  Court  lawyer"  of  that  road,  Judge 
Wilson,  Judge  James  Masterson,  Judge  C.  Anson  Jones,  youngest 


The  Bench  and  Bar  115 

son  of  the  last  president  of  the  republic  of  Texas,  a  brilliant 
young  man  who  was  cut  off  in  the  prime  of  life,  W.  A.  Carring- 
ton,  J.  C.  Hutchinson,  Judge  James  Baker,  father  of  Captain 
James  A.  Baker  and  Col.  W.B.Botts,  all  men  of  probity  and  honor, 
of  skill  and  power,  of  learning  and  eloquence,  of  old  fashioned 
courtesy  and  chivalrous  consideration,  of  chaste  diction  and 
faultless  bearing,  who  gave  the  Bar  of  Harris  County  its 
high  standards,  its  legal  ambitions  and  its  lofty  ethics  and  who 
have  preserved  the  good  name  of  the  bar  without  shame  and 
without  reproach. 

When  the  first  amended  constitution  of  Texas  was  adopted 
by  the  people,  it  created  a  criminal  district  court  for  Harris  and 
Gaiveston  Counties  and  Judge  Gustave  Cook  was  appointed 
Judge  and  occupied  that  position  for  14  years.  In  addition  to  his 
great  learning  as  a  lawyer  he  had  attributes  of  character  that 
rendered  him  a  most  lovable  person  and  enjoyable  companion. 
He  was  light-hearted,  a  lover  of  jokes  and  pranks,  was  famous 
as  a  raconteur,  and  so  free  and  generous  with  his  money  that 
he  was  always  "broke,"  and  was  finally  driven  to  resign  from 
the  bench  and  go  back  to  the  practice  of  law  to  make  a  living. 
His  successors  on  the  bench  have  been,  in  the  order  named: 
C.  L.  Cleveland,  E.  D.  Gavin,  J.  K.  P.  Gillespie,  E.  R.  Campbell 
and  C.  W.  Robinson.  R.  G.  Maury  is  the  present  criminal 
district  iiltorney. 

The  following  were  the  officers  of  the  Eleventh  District 
Court  from  its  organization  to  the  present  day: 

From  1837  to  1842 — Benjamin  C.  Franklin,  Judge;  James 
S.  Ilolman,  C'erk;  John  W.  Moore,  Sheriff. 

From  1842  io  1849— Richard  Morris,  Judge;  F.  R.  Lubbock, 
Clerk ;  M.  T.  Rodgers,  Sheriff. 

From  1849  to  1854— C.  W.  Buckley,  Judge;  F.  R.  Lubbock, 
Olerk:  David  Russel,  Sheriff. 

From  1854  to  1862— Peter  W.  Gray,  Judge. 

From  1862  to  1866— James  A.  Baker,  Judge;  W.  B.  Walker, 
Clerk;  B.  P.  Lanham,  Sheriff. 

For  the  period  from  1866  to  1869,  there  were  no  elections 


116  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

held  and  the  Bar  selected  the  following  named  to  act  as  judge  of 
the  court :    Geo.  R.  Scott,  C.  B.  Sabin  and  P.  W.  Gray. 

From  1869  to  1870— Geo.  R.  Scott,  Judge. 

From  1870  to  1892— James  R.  Masterson,  Judge. 

From  1892  to  1896— S.  H.  Brashear,  Judge. 

From  1896  to  1900— John  G.  Tod,  Judge. 

From  1900  to  date — Charles  E.  Ashe,  Judge. 

The  Fifty-first  District  Court  was  organized  in  1897,  and 
since  that  time,  has  had  but  three  presiding  judges,  as  follows: 

From  1897  to  1902— Judge  Wm.  H.  Wilson. 
.       From  1902  to  1911— Judge  W.  P.  Hamblen. 

From  1911  to  date — Judge  Wm.  Masterson.  Judge  Master- 
son  was  appointed  by  Governor  Colquitt  following  the  death 
of  Judge  Hamblen. 

The  Sixty-first  District  Court  was  organized  in  February, 
1903,  and  has  had  only  one  presiding  judge  since  it  organization, 
Judge  Norman  G.  Kittrell. 

The  act  creating  Harris  County  Court  was  passed  by  the 
Legislature  in  February,  1867.  Judge  John  Brashear  was. 
elected  judge  and  served  until  1869.  Judge  M.  N.  Brewster 
succeeded  Judge  Brashear  and  served  until  1876,  or  during  the 
time  the  republicans  had  control  of  the  county.  Judge  C.  Anson 
Jones  was  elected,  and  took  charge  of  the  office  at  the  July  term 
of  the  court  in  1876.  He  served  until  1882,  when,  on  his  death, 
Judge  E.  P.  Hamblen  was  elected  and  took  office  November  24, 
1882.  After  rather  a  sharp  campaign,  Judge  W.  C.  Andrews 
was  elected  and  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  at  the  November 
term  in  1884.  Judge  Andrews  was  a  candidate  for  re-election, 
but  just  before  the  election  he  died  (November  1,  1892)  and 
Judge  John  G.  Tod  was  elected  and  took  office  at  the  November 
term  of  the  court,  1892.  Judge  Tod  remained  in  office  for  two 
terms  and  was  succeeded  by  Judge  W.  N.  Shaw  at  the  November 
term  in  1896.  Judge  E.  H.  Vasmer  was  elected  in  1898,  and  held 
office  for  four  years,  being  succeeded  by  Judge  Blake  Dupree  in 
1902.  Judge  Dupree  also  held  office  for  two  terms  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  popular  present  incumbent,  Judge  A.  E.  Amerman 


The  Bench  and  Bar  117 

in  1906,  who  is  now  filling  his  third  term.  George  Jones  has 
been  County  Clerk  for  many  years. 

The  act  creating  the  Corporation  Court  for  Houston  was 
passed  by  the  Legislature  in  1899.  Before  then  the  duties  of  the 
judge  of  this  court,  or  rather  of  its  predecessor, 'the  city  court, 
were  performed,  sometimes  by  the  mayor,  sometimes  by  a  city 
recorder  and  sometimes  by  a  justice  of  the  peace.  It  was  more 
or  less  haphazard  and  methods  were  undergoing  constant  change. 
At  the  first  election,  Judge  A.  R.  Railey  was  elected  and  served 
until  1902,  when  he  was  defeated  after  a  sharp  contest,  by 
Judge  Marmion.  Judge  Marmion  was  elected  one  of  the  city 
commissioners  when  the  form  of  city  government  was  changed, 
and  Judge  John  H.  Kirlicks  was  appointed  to  fill  his  unexpired 
term,  and  has  held  office  ever  since. 

This  is  one  of  the  busiest  courts  in  the  city  and  may  be  said 
to  be  in  session  every  day  in  the  year,  except  Sundays  and 
holidays.  A  morning  session  of  the  court  is  held  at  9  a.  m.,  and 
an  afternoon  session  at  4  p.  m.  It  has  jurisdiction  over  city  and 
police  cases  only. 

An  idea  of  the  character  of  men  that  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  Harris  County  Bar,  can  be  formed  from  reading  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  an  address  delivered  by  Judge  W.  P.  Hamblen 
at  a  banquet  of  the  Houston  Bar  Association,  held  January  20, 
1910.  Judge  Hamblen,  as  the  oldest  member  of  the  Bar,  was  the 
best  source  for  its  history.  He  said : 

"I  came  to  the  Bar  when  Judge  Peter  W.  Gray  was  judge 
of  the  court.  He  was  the  distinguished  uncle  of  Judge  W.  G. 
Sears,  whose  nephew  is  now  a  member  of  this  Bar,  and  he 
admitted  me  to  the  rights  of  our  profession.  He  was  one  of  the 
chiefest  among  the  intelligencers  of  that  day.  He  was  accom- 
plished, educated  in  all  the  refinements  as  well  as  in  all  the  sub- 
stantials  of  the  profession ;  so  discriminating,  so  penetrating,  that 
no  preposition  of  law  was  presented  to  him  that  he  did  not  seize; 
so  f  bsclutely  honest  that  his  reputaiicn  could  stand  among  a  mil- 
lion v\ithout  a  scar.  And  moreover  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  a 
f a\  rite  t  f  his  and  was  appointed  by  him  district  attorney  of  this 
district  at  that  very  term  of  his  court,  because  of  the  absence  of 


118  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

the  district  attorney.  My  relations  with  him  were,  I  might  say, 
those  of  a  child  and  its  father.  In  those  days  an  admission  to 
the  bar  was  not  as  it  is  today,  the  formal  appearance  before  a 
committee  almost  as  a  school  boy  at  a  spelling  match,  but  it  was 
a  procession  of  young  men  to  the  Bar  of  the  court,  summoned 
by  a  committee  appointed  by  the  judge  who  participated  in  the 
examination.  When  the  examination  was  through  the  judge 
descended  from  the  bench  and  taking  the  hand  of  each  applicant 
spoke  words  of  encouragement. 

"I  remember  when  some  youngsters  from  the  country  on 
Cypress  were  brought  before  him  because  they  had  gone  to  the 
house  of  a  poor  old  German  and  his  wife  and  made  the  old  couple 
cook  a  supper  and  dance  for  them.  They  were  presented  before 
Judge  Gray  and  a  fine  was  imposed,  and  the  boys  asked  for 
mercy.  One  of  them  was  the  son  of  his  most  particular  friend, 
one  of  all  others  whom  it  would  have  been  his  pleasure  to  please. 
His  lecture  to  these  young  men  from  the  bench  can  never  be 
forgotten  by  anyone  who  heard  it.  That  lecture  to  those  young 
men  and  especially  to  the  son  of  his  friend  was  so  touching  that 
no  heart  could  be  unmoved,  and  every  youngster  who  received  the 
admonition  went  away  feeling  that  he  had  done  a  wrong  which 
was  not  expiated  by  the  punishment. 

"I  can  briefly  mention  men  who  were  honorable  members  of 
our  Bar  at  the  time  I  was  admitted  in  1855.     There  was  E.  A. 
Palmer  who   was  afterwards  Judge  of  the   District   Court  of 
Harris  County,  and  A.  N.  Jordan,  both  from  Virginia,  ranking 
high  in  their  profession.    The  former  died  in  1864,  and  in  1866, 
the  eyes  of  the  latter  I  closed  in  death.    Governor  J.  W.  Hender- 
son, from  Tennessee,  once  lieutenant  governor  of  our  state  and 
for  six  years  its  governor.    He  was  the  author  of  the  verse : 
'  Here  is  our  old  friend,  John  Doe ; 
We  have  laid  him  down  to  sleep, 
Together  with  his  companion,  Richard  Roe, 
In  one  common,  lonely  heap, 
With  none  so  bold  as  dare  a  vigil  keep. ' 
"He  passed  away  in  1886.    Judge  Algernon  P.  Thompson,  an 
Englishman,   a  most   scholarly   gentleman,   who   once   declared 


The  Bench  and  Bar  119 

that  the  author  of  the  phrase  'to-wit'  should  be  burned  alive. 
Benjamin  F.  Tankersley,  from  Mississippi,  I  believe,  father  of 
our  distinguished  townsman,  Marshal  Tankersley,  a  most  highly 
esteemed  and  worthy  lawyer  who  died  during  the  Civil  War. 
C.  B.  Sabin,  long  a  practitioner  in  this  city,  who  died  in  1890, 
while  occuping  the  bench  of  the  United  States  district  court. 
Judge  George  Goldthwaite,  so  widely  known  for  his  erudition 
and  legal  acumen  that  he  was  considered  competent  to  write  a 
book  on  continuations  without  a  ground.  He  died  about  1886. 
Col.  J.  T.  Brady,  from  Maryland,  once  prominent  and  foremost 
in  all  that  upbuilds  a  state,  once  a  senator  from  this  district  in 
our  state  legislature,  died  about  1891.  *  *  *  Hon.  James  H. 
Masterson,  for  more  than  twenty  years  distinguished  on  the 
bench  of  the  district  court;  Judge  E.  P.  Hamblen,  my  worthy 
relative,  who  once  graced  the  county  court  bench — the  two  latter 
being  now  dwellers  with  us.  Judge  A.  R.  Masterson,  who  has 
the  proud  distinction  of  having  surrendered  with  Lee  at  Appo- 
mattox.  *  *  *  We  will  not  forget  that  old  commoner,  Charles 
Stewart,  so  long  your  representative  in  Congress,  a  powerful 
democratic  expounder  and  able  advocate.  He  located  in  Marlin 
and  returned  here  after  the  war.  His  'praises  have  been  sung 
by  loftier  harps  than  mine.' 

"Those  who  have  gone  before  stood  in  the  front  of  the 
battle  for  judicial  propriety  and  integrity,  and  for  a  construction 
of  laws  that  preserved  the  constitutional  liberties  without  flaw 
or  blemish.  R.  K.  Cage,  father  of  our  worthy  citizen,  Rufus  Cage, 
and  grand-father  of  Elliott  Cage,  died  a  few  years  ago.  That 
soul  of  wit,  John  Manley,  a  son  of  North  Carolina,  died  in  1874. ' ' 
The  Houston  Bar  Association  was  organized  in  November, 
1870.  Judge  Peter  W.  Gray  was  president,  George  Goldrhwaite, 
vice-president;  J.  T.  Whitfield,  recording  secretary;  N.  P. 
Turner,  corresponding  secretary,  and  W.  C.  Watson,  treasurer. 
The  objects  of  the  association  were  the  elevation  of  the  legal 
profession  in  Houston  and  to  take  proper  steps  looking  towards 
the  purchase  of  a  law  library.  As  its  organization  the  associa- 
tion was  not  strong  numerically  but  it  was  composed  of  some 
of  the  best  men  in  the  legal  profession.  Today  the  association 


120  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

will  compare  favorably,  numerically,  mentally,  or  in  any  other 
way  with  like  associations  found  anywhere  in  this  country.  The 
following  named  gentlemen  compose  the  association  today : 

L.  R.  Bryan,  president ;  Thomas  H.  Botts,  secretary ;  Chester 
H.  Bryan,  treasurer. 

ROLL  OF  MEMBERS. 

Amerman,  C.  A. ;  Anderson,  W.  ~W. ;  Andrews,  Jesse ;  Ayres, 
L.  C. ;  Amerman,  C.  H.  C. ;  Autrey,  James  L. ;  Andrews,  Frank ; 
Ashe,  Chas.  E. ;  Baker,  James  A. ;  Barbee,  Will  S. ;  Botts,  Thos. 
H. ;  Bryan,  Chester  H. ;  Beatty,  L. ;  Burns,  Waller,  T. ;  Breaker, 
George  H. ;  Beard,  Stanley  A. ;  Britton,  Thos.  G. ;  Branch,  E.  T. ; 
Baldwin,  J.  C. ;  Ball,  Thos.  H. ;  Borden,  Henry  L. ;  Brashear,  S. 
H. ;  Bryan,  L. ;  Lewis,  R. ;  Bailey,  Edward  H. ;  Breeding,  J^s.  A. ; 
Barkley,  K.  C. ;  Burns,  Coke  K. ;  Bailey,  W.  S. ;  Blankenbecker, 
L.  E. ;  Campbell,  E.  R. ;  Campbell,  J.  W. ;  Carter,  C.  L. ;  Cage, 
Elliott ;  Colgin,  J.  F. ;  Cole,  J.  F. ;  Cole,  Robert  L. ;  Chew,  E.  T. ; 
Dannenbaum,  H.  J. ;  Dabney,  S.  B. ;  Dupree,  Blake ;  Dunn,  T. 
L. ;  Dickson,  Raymond ;  Eagle,  Joe  H. ;  Ewing,  Presley  K. ;  Ford, 
T.  W. ;  Ford,  T.  C. ;  Fisher,  Henry  F. ;  Franklin,  R.  W. ;  Graves, 
Geo.  W. ;  Garwood,  H.  M. ;  Green,  Jno.  E. ;  Garrett,  D.  E. ; 
Garrison,  John  T. ;  Guynes,  Chas.  0. ;  Gill,  W.  H. ;  Hamblen, 
E.  P. ;  Hamblen,  W.  P.,  Jr. ;  Hamblen,  Otis  K. ;  Hamblen,  A.  R. ; 
Harris,  John  Charles ;  Holt,  0.  T. ;  Hume,  F.  Charles ;  Harralson, 
E.  M. ;  Hardy,  D.  H. ;  Hutcheson,  J.  C.,  Jr.;  Hume,  D.  E.; 
Highsmith,  C.  C. ;  Hume,  F.  Charles,  Jr. ;  Huggins,  W.  O. ; 
Holmes,  H. ;  Hunt,  W.  S. ;  John,  Robert  A.;  Johnson,  W.  T. ; 
Jones,  Frank  C. ;  Jones,  Murray  B. ;  Jones,  Homer.  (San  Anton- 
io) ;  Kittrell,  Norman  G. ;  Kittrell,  Norman  G.,  Jr. ;  Kirlicks, 
John  A. ;  Kelley,  R.  H. ;  Kennerly,  T.  M. ;  Lane,  Jonathan ;  Louis, 
B.  F. ;  Lockett,  J.  W ;  Lewis,  T.  B. ;  Logue,  John  G. ;  Lewis, 
John  W.;  Love,  W.  G.;  Matthews,  J.  C.;  Monteith,  W.  E. ; 
Myer,  Sewall  F. ;  Maury,  R.  C. ;  Montgomery,  H.  F.;  McRae, 
Chas.  C. ;  McCarthy,  Ed.,  Jr. ;  McLeans,  John  L. ;  Niday,  J.  E. ; 
Parker,  E.  B. ;  Phelps,  Ed.  S. ;  Peterson,  Samuel;  Price,  J.  A.; 
Pleasants,  A.  W. ;  Pendarvis,  G.  H. ;  Phelps,  Lewis  C. ;  Parker, 
J.  W. ;  Read,  John  Archer ;  Robertson,  Robert  L. ;  Robinson, 


The  Bench  and  Bar  121 

C.  W.;  Roberts,  I.  S. ;  Sewall,  Cleveland;  Standifer,  I.  M. ; 
Streetman,  Sam;  Stewart,  John  S. ;  Simmons,  D.  E.;  Stewart, 
Minor;  Storey,  Jas.  L. ;  Stone,  T.  H. ;  Sears,  G.  D. ; 
Shands,  H.  A.;  Smith,  Lamar;  Tarver,  W.  F. ;  Taylor,  C.  H. ; 
Townes,  J.  C.,  Jr.;  Townes,  E.  W.,  Jr.;  Taub,  Otto;  Tallichet, 
J.  H. ;  Tharp,  G.  W. ;  Tod,  John  G. ;  Teat,  G.  L. ;  Teagle,  C.  A. ; 
Taliaferro,  S. ;  Vann,  Andral;  Van  Velzer,  A.  C. ;  Warnken,  C. 
A.;  Wharton,  C.  R. ;  Wilson,  A.  B. ;  Wilson,  Earl;  Wolters, 
Jake  F. ;  Wagner,  Meyer  C. ;  Ward,  W.  H. ;  Whitehead,  R.  L. ; 
Wilson,  W.  H. ;  Wood,  Chas.  B. ;  Wrenn,  Clerk  C. ;  Warren, 
John  B. ;  Wharton,  Earl. 

Owing  to  the  vast  business  interests,  lumber,  cotton,  rice, 
oil,  manufacturing,  railroad  and  lands,  represented  in  Houston 
there  has  arisen  a  demand  for  high-grade,  highly-paid  lawyers 
and  the  city 's  brilliant  bar  has  always  responded  to  this  demand, 
which  has  also  caused  many  eminent  lawyers  to  move  to  Houston. 
The  largest  law  firm  south  of  New  York  is  located  in  Houston, 
that  of  Baker,  Botts,  Parker  &  Garwood.  A  former  member 
of  this  firm,  Judge  R.  S.  Lovett,  is  at  the  head  of  Southern 
Pacific  and  Union  Pacific,  and  those  roads  generally  known  as 
the  Harriman  system.  Hon.  Tom  Ball  resigned  his  position 
in  Congress  to  practice  law  in  Houston  and  is  a  member  of  the 
noted  firm  of  Andrews,  Ball  &  Streetman. 

Governor  Stephen  S.  Hogg,  after  his  two  terms  of  office 
had  expired,  moved  to  Houston  and  practiced  law  here  until 
his  death.  Judge  W.  H.  Gill,  chief  justice  of  the  court 
of  criminal  appeals  at  Galveston,  resigned  his  position  to 
practice  law  in  Houston  as  a  member  of  the  same  firm  to  which 
Governor  Hogg  had  belonged.  Judge  Gill  is  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  brilliant  lawyers  in  the  state.  More  recent  acquisi- 
tions are  Hon.  John  M.  Duncan,  of  Tyler,  and  Hon.  Monta 
Moore,  of  Cameron. 

The  list  of  men  who  have  achieved  notable  success  at  the 
Houston  bar  is  a  long  one  and  would  be  in  many  'respects  iden- 
tical with  that  of  the  Bar  Association. 

Two  members  of  the  Houston  Bar  were  chosen  to  head  the 
respective  forces  of  the  prohibitionists  and  anti-prohibitionists 


122  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

in  the  great  campaign  for  a  change  in  the  Texas  constitution  that 
was  fought  out  in  the  summer  of  1911  and  resulted  in  a  scant 
and  Phyrric  victory  for  the  antis.  One  of  the  two  is  Hon.  Tom 
Ball,  already  referred  to;  the  other  is  the  Hon.  Jake  Wolters, 
formerly  an  officer  of  the  First  Texas  Volunteer  Cavalry  in  the 
War  with  Spain  and  at  present  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Lane,  Wolters  and  Storey.  Both  leaders  rendered  brilliant  ser- 
vice and  both  are  talked  of  by  their  admirers  as  desirable  can- 
didates for  United  States  Senator. 


CHAPTER  IX 

Medical   History 


Pioneer  Physicians  and  Their  Labors.  First  Houston  Medical 
Association.  Organization  of  the  State  Medical  Association. 
Railroad  Surgeons  Association.  Harris  County  Medical 
Association.  Houston's  Modern  Hospitals.  Story  of  Early 
Epidemics.  The  Doctors  and  the  Newspapers. 


The  most  casual  reader  of  these  pages  must  be  impressed 
by  the  fact  that  the  history  of  the  growth  and  development  of 
Houston  is  in  many  respects,  the  history  of  the  growth  and 
development  of  Texas.  This  could  scarcely  have  been  otherwise, 
since  the  men  who  laid  the  foundation  for  the  future  metropolis 
of  Texas  were  the  same  whose  wisdom,  power  and  influence  were 
directed  toward  the  upbuilding  of  the  state.  Under  such  condi- 
tions as  these  it  is  not  strange  that  many  movements,  commercial, 
financial,  scientific,  and  educational,  that  tended  towards  intel- 
ligent growth  and  expansion,  should  have  either  originated  in 
Houston  or  originated  through  Houston  influence. 

Perhaps  the  most  lasting  and  beneficial  work  done  by  the 
early  settlers,  aside  from  that  of  those  whose  efforts  were  directly 
in  the  interest  of  purely  material  enterprises,  was  that  of  the 
medical  men.  Their  labor  was  scientific  and  largely  unselfish, 
since  it  aimed  at  the  prevention  of  disease  rather  than  at  its 
cure,  and  therefore  had  about  it  elements,  antagonistic  to  their 
selfish  interests.  Texas  was  new,  Houston  was  new  and  society 
was  much  disorganized. 

Fortunately  the  practice  of  medicine  was  placed  in  safe 
hands  at  the  very  beginning  and  as  early  as  1836  a  standard 
was  fixed  by  such  men  as  Ashbel  Smith,  who  was  physician,  sur- 
geon, scientist,  statesman  and  scholar ;  by  Alexander  Ewing,  who 


124  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

was  chief  surgeon  of  the  Texas  army,  a  skilled  physician  and 
a  profound  student;  by  Phillip  Anderson,  chief  surgeon  of  the 
Texas  Navy  who  was,  with  the  exception  of  Dr.  Ashbel  Smith, 
the  most  learned  man  in  Texas  at  that  time,  and  by  Dr.  McAnally, 
who,  in  addition  to  his  skill  as  a  physician  and  surgeon,  was  a 
great  scientist.  Merely  calling  over  these  names  is  sufficient  to 
show  on  what  a  high  plane  the  practice  of  medicine  was  placed 
at  the  very  outset  in  Houston. 

During  the  period  from  1840  to  1850  the  medical  profession 
in  Houston  was  much  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  several 
young  physicians  who  came  from  the  older  states.  These  young 
men  were  graduates  from  the  best  literary  and  medical  colleges 
in  the  land  and  were  all  men  of  culture  and  refinement.  Among 
them  were  Dr.  S.  0.  Young,  Sr.,  Dr.  "Win.  McCraven,  Dr.  W.  D. 
Robinson,  Dr.  Wm.  H.  Howard,  and  Dr.  L.  A.  Bryan. 

No  effort  looking  towards  an  organization  of  the  medical 
profession  seems  to  have  been  made  prior  to  March  11,  1857,  at 
which  time  the  Houston  Medical  Association  was  organized  by 
Dr.  J.  S.  Duval,  Dr.  Wm.  H.  Howard,  Dr.  Greenville  Dowell, 
Dr.  R.  H.  Boxley,  and  Dr.  H.  W.  Waters.  Dr.  Duval  was  elected 
president,  Dr.  Waters,  vice-president,  and  Dr.  Boxley,  secretary. 
The  avowed  objects  of  the  association  were:  "To  cultivate  the 
science  of  medicine  and  all  its  collateral  branches ;  to  cherish  and 
sustain  medical  character;  to  encourage  medical  etiquette  and  to 
promote  mutual  improvement,  social  intercourse  and  good  feeling 
among  members  of  the  medical  profession."  At  that  day  Osteo- 
paths, Electro-Magnetic,  and  Christian  Science  healers  were 
unknown.  There  were  but  two  schools  of  medicine,  the  allopaths, 
or  regulars,  and  tlje  homeopaths. 

There  was  as  much  feeling  against  the  Homeopaths  on  the 
part  of  the  regular  physicians  at  that  time,  as  there  is  today, 
as  the  following  shows.  It  is  the  first  resolution  adopted  by  the 
Houston  Medical  Association  after  its  organization,  and  is  pre- 
sented as  characteristic  of  the  feelings  of  that  body  at  the  time : 

"Whereas — The  scientific  medical  world  has  proven  Hom- 
eopathy to  be  a  species  of  empiricism,  too  flagrant  to  merit  the 
confidence  of  rational  men,  and  too  fabulous  to  deserve  even  the 


Medical  History  125 

passing  notice  of  an  educated  physician,  and  as  we  are  convinced 
that  it  is  a  delusion,  far  surpassing  any  other  ism  known  to  the 
world,  witch-craft  not  excepted,  therefore  we  will  not  recognize, 
professionally  or  privately,  any  man  who  professes  to  cure  dis- 
eases through  the  agency  of  Hahnemanic  teachings. 

' '  Be  it  Resolved — That  as  a  diploma  from  a  regularly  organ- 
ized medical  school  is  the  only  evidence  of  qualification  which 
our  community  can  obtain  in  regard  to  the  doctors  in  their 
midst,  we  respectfully  recommend  to  the  citizens  of  this  flourish- 
ing city  that  they  demand  of  every  man  who  assumes  the  respon- 
sibility of  a  physician  to  their  families,  their  diplomas  as  cer- 
tificates of  their  worthiness  of  patronage,  and  that  they  see  to 
it  that  they  are  not  imposed  on  by  a  diploma  from  a  medical 
society  or  a  certificate  of  qualification  as  a  dresser  in  a  hospital. ' ' 

Notwithstanding  this  opposition,  qualified  Homeopaths  came 
to  Houston  and  flourished.  It  is  probable  that  the  Houston 
Medical  Association  continued  in  active  operation  for  some  time, 
for  two  years  later,  in  1859,  a  call  was  issued  by  Houston  physi- 
cians inviting  the  physicians  from  other  points  in  the  state  to 
assemble  in  Houston  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  State 
Medical  Association.  Unfortunately  there  is  no  local  record 
of  this  meeting,  but  that  it  was  held,  and  an  organization  per- 
fected, is  attested  by  the  fact  that  when  the  Houston  physicians, 
in  1869,  issued  another  call  for  the  purpose  of  forming  the 
present  State  Association,  it  was  spoken  of  as  the  "re-organiza- 
tion" of  the  State  Association. 

Some  time  in  March,  1869,  the  physicians  of  Houston  issued 
a  circular  letter  addressed  to  the  physicians  of  Texas  requesting 
them  to  assemble  in  Houston  on  April  15,  for  the  purpose  of 
re-organizing  the  State  Medical  Association.  This  letter  was 
not  only  sent  through  the  mails,  but  was  published  in  the  papers 
of  the  state,  so  it  had  a  wide  distribution.  In  response  to  this 
call  twenty-eight  physicians,  mostly  from  Houston,  Galveston 
and  nearby-points,  assembled  in  the  west  parlor  of  the  Hutchins 
House  on  April  15,  and  organized,  or  re-organized  The  Texas 
State  Medical  Association.  The  first  officers  elected  were: 

Dr.  T.  J.  Heard,  of  Galveston,  president;  Dr.  R.  H.  Jones, 


126  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  Washington  County,  first  vice-president;  Dr.  D.  R.  Wallace, 
of  Waco,  second  vice-president;  Dr.  A.  A.  Connell,  Jr.,  of  Hous- 
ton, recording  secretary ;  Dr.  W.  P.  Riddell,  of  Houston,  corres- 
ponding secretary,  and  Dr.  F.  Hassenberg,  of  Houston,  treasurer. 

A  two  days'  session  was  held,  but  beyond  perfecting  a 
thorough  organization,  little  was  done. 

The  second  meeting  of  the  association  was  also  held  in 
Houston.  At  that  meeting  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Dr.  R.  T.  Flewellen,  of  Houston,  president ;  Dr.  D.  R.  Wal- 
lace, of  Waco,  first  vice-president ;  Dr.  A.  A.  Connell,  of  Houston, 
recording  secretary ;  Dr.  S.  O.  Young,  of  Houston,  corresponding 
secretary,  and  Dr.  W.  P.  Riddell,  of  Houston,  treasurer. 

The  attendance  was  rather  disappointing,  being  practically 
the  same  as  at  the  first  meeting.  Only  one  or  two  new  members, 
all  from  near-by  points,  were  admitted. 

On  April  15,  1871,  the  association  held  its  third  session  in 
Houston.  There  was  a  better  attendance  and  increased  interest 
was  shown.  At  the  election,  Dr.  D.  R.  Wallace,  of  Waco,  was 
elected  president  and  all  the  other  officers  were  re-elected.  Doctor 
Wallace  was  a  man  of  fine  executive  ability  and  his  influence  for 
good  was  felt  at  once.  At  his  suggestion  the  State  Association 
was  brought  into  closer  relation  with  the  American  Medical 
Association  and  Dr.  S.  0.  Young  was  chosen  as  the  first  delegate 
from  Texas  to  that  association.  Various  committees  on  special 
subjects  were  appointed  to  whom  were  assigned  topics  to  be 
rep6rted  on  for  discussion  at  the  next  meeting. 

The  fourth  annual  meeting  was  held  in  Houston,  April  15, 
1872.  At  the  election  of  officers,  Dr.  D.  F.  Stuart,  of  Houston, 
was  elected  president.  Doctors  Connell  and  Riddell  having 
died,  some  changes  in  other  offices  were  necessary.  Dr.  S.  0. 
Young  was  elected  recording  secretary,  and  Dr.  J.  Larendon, 
also  of  Houston,  was  elected  treasurer,  an  office  he  held  for  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century. 

At  that  meeting  it  was  determined  to  abandon  the  idea  of 
making  Houston  the  permanent  headquarters  of  the  association, 
and  to  hold  future  meetings  at  various  points  in  the  state,  so 
Waco  was  chosen  as  the  next  meeting  place. 


Medical  History  127 

The  organization  of  the  Texas  Medical  Association  has  been 
dwelt  on  at  some  length  for  a  twofold  reason.  First,  because 
it  was  a  Houston  idea,  conceived  and  carried  out  by  Houston 
men,  and  next,  because  this  Association  has  been  instrumental 
in  accomplishing  much  good  for  the  people  of  Texas,  that  could 
have  been  accomplished  by  no  other  means.  .Before  the  Texas 
Medical  Association  came  into  being  the  state  was  literally 
overrun  by  medical  quacks  and  imposters  of  every  character. 
There  \vere  no  laws  to  restrain  these  people  and  none  to  protect 
the  public  against  them.  Among  the  first  acts  of  the  Texas 
Medical  Association  were  those  looking  to  the  curbing  and 
restraint  of  frauds  and  the  protection  of  reputable  physicians. 

As  early  as  1871  the  Association  began  the  crusade  for  the 
regulation  by  law  of  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Texas.  Results 
were  rather  meager  at  first.  The  opening  wedge  was  placed  when 
the  Legislature  passed  a  law  requiring  all  physicians  to  file  a 
statement  of  where,  when  and  at  what  schools  they  had  been 
graduated,  and  to  also  register  their  diplomas.  This  shut  out 
some  of  the  imposters  but  not  all,  for  there  are  bogus  medical 
schools  as  well  as  bogus  graduates.  The  work  was  continued, 
however,  and  has  resulted  in  such  laws  as  that  requiring  a  state 
board  of  medical  examiners  before  which  every  physician  who 
desires  to  practice  medicine  in  Texas  has  to  appear  and  stand  an 
examination,  even  though  he  be  a  recent  graduate  from  the 
Texas  Medical  College.  Another  great  thing  accomplished  was 
the  passage  of  a  law  creating  the  State  Board  of  Health. 

In  all  these  movements  Houston  physicians  were  prominent 
and  either  conceived  the  original  idea  or  were  largely  instru- 
mental in  putting  it  into  execution.  From  the  first  they  were 
leaders  in  all  that  promised  for  uplifting  the  medical  profession, 
or  for  safeguarding  their  fellow  citizens  against  preventable 
diseases  and  epidemics  and  quack  cure-alls  and  fake  panaceas. 
Today  the  medical  profession  in  Texas  is  well  organized.  The 
state  is  divided  into  divisions,  such  as  the  East  Texas  Medical 
Association,  and  the  West  Texas  Medical  Association,  and  each 
of  these  has  sub-divisions.  Nearly  every  county  in  the  state  has 
its  County  Association.  Then,  too,  special  interests  have  their 


128  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

own  organizations,  a  notable  one  being  the  Railroad  Surgeons 
Association,  which  had  its  inception  in  Houston.  An  idea  of  its 
strength  and  importance  may  be  formed  from  the  following : 

On  January  21,  1896,  the  Railroad  Surgeons  of  Texas  held  a 
meeting  at  Houston.  The  following  were  elected  officers:  Dr. 
M.  D.  Knox,  president;  Dr.  T.  J.  Wagley,  first  vice-president; 
Dr.  J.  C.  King,  second  vice-president ;  Dr.  W.  H.  Monday,  third 
vice-president ;  Dr.  Clay  Johnson,  secretary,  and  Dr.  A.  A. 
Bailey,  treasurer. 

T"he  following  named  surgeons  were  present  and  took  part  in 
the  deliberations:  Drs.  J.  M.  Richmond,  J.  H.  Reuss,  A.  B. 
Gardner,  M.  D.  Knox,  W.  W.  Lum,  C.  C.  Nash,  J.  H.  Jenkins, 

C.  T.  Hughes,  P.  M.  Raynor,  F.  0.  Norris,  Van.  B.  Thornton,  A. 

D.  Epperson,  A.  A.  Thompson,  W.  T.  Harris,  T.  A.  Pope,  A.  L. 
O'Brien,  W.  H.  Monday,  J.  C.  Mayfield,  F.  B.  Seyman,  J.  W. 
Cox,  Sam  B.  McLeary,  W.  M.  Garrett,  James  Byars,  H.  L.  Foun- 
tain, J.  C.  Loggins,  C.  A.  Smith,  Clay  Johnson,  A.  C.  Scott,  A. 
A.  Bailey,  J.  M.  Blair,  S.  C.  Red,  R.  T.  Morris,  L.  H.  Lamkin, 
D.  F.  Steuart,  Joseph  R.  Steuart,  T.  J.  Boyles,  F.  B.  King,  G.  D. 
Parker,  0.  C.  Norsworthy,  W.  E.  Drisdale,  N.  J.  Phoenix,  T.  M. 
Reeves,  and  M.  J.  T.  Jones. 

Although  there  were  a  number  of  able  and  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  medical  profession  m  Houston  aucl  Harris  County, 
no  attempt  was  ever  made  to  form  a  county  medical  association 
until  in  December,  1868. 

In  1868,  several  Houston  physicians  met  and  organized  the 
Harris  County  Medical  Association.  There  were  not  many 
present  at  that  meeting,  and,  with  the  exception  of  Dr.  Ashbel 
Smith,  who  resided  in  the  lower  part  of  the  county  on  Galveston 
Bay,  they  were  all  residents  of  Houston. 

Before  then  the  formation  of  both  a  city  and  county  medi- 
cal association  had  been  discussed,  but  neither  had  ever  advanced 
beyond  the  stage  of  suggestion  and  talk,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  thy 
organization  of  the  association  of  1868  could  have  been  accom- 
plished had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that  it  was  considered  im- 
peratively necessary  to  have  a  local  medical  association  to  form 
the  nucleus  for  the  State  Medical  Association. 


Medical  History  129 

On  December  8th,  1868,  the  following  named  physicians  met 
in  the  parlors  of  the  Hutchins  House,  for  the  purpose  of  form- 
ing a  county  medical  association :  L.  A.  Bryan,  W.  H.  Howard, 
J.  Larendon,  D.  C.  Stuart,  T.  J.  Poulson,  R.  W.  Lunday,  Alva 
Connell,  Sr.,  Alva  Connell,  Jr.,  G.  H.  McDonald,  "W.  D.  Robinson, 
T.  J.  Devereaux,  J.  M.  Morris,  and  W.  P.  Riddell. 

Aside  from  issuing  an  address  to  the  physicians  of  Texas, 
inviting  them  to  meet  in  Houston  on  April  15th,  for  the  purpose 
of  organizing  a  State  Medical  Association,  the  Harris  County 
Association,  after  that  first  meeting  never  held  another,  and  was 
allowed  to  die  a  natural  death.  In  late  years,  however,  physi- 
cians have  been  more  active  and  since  1904  have  a  county  asso- 
ciation that  compares  favorably  with  any  similar  association  in 
*  the  country.  It  has  a  large  membership  and  has  accomplished 
much  for  the  advancement  of  medical  science,  and  for  the  creation 
of  closer  fraternal  and  professional  relations  between  its  mem- 
bers. The  association  holds  weekly  meetings,  and  the  attendance 
is  always  large,  and  interest  in  its  aims  and  objects  is  never 
allowed  to  flag.  The  following  named  are  its  officers  and  mem- 
bers: 

President,  Dr.  E.  F.  Cooke ;  vice-president,  Dr.  J.  H.  Hulen ; 
secretary,  Dr.  L.  Allen.  The  members  of  the  board  of  censors 
are  J.  E.  Hodges,  H.  C.  Moore  and  E.  M.  Arnold.  The  committee 
on  public  health  and  legislation  is :  W.  M.  Wier,  J.  A.  Kyle  and 
J.  H.  Foster.  The  delegates  to  the  State  Association  in  1911 
were  0.  L.  Norsworthy  and  J.  H.  Foster.  A  full  list  of  the  mem- 
bers is  as  follows :  L.  Allen,  N.  N.  Allen,  W.  C.  Archer,  W.  A. 
Archer,  E.  M.  Armstrong,  E.  M.  Arnold,  D.  L.  Akehurst,  C.  M. 
Aves,  J.  M.  Blair,  C.  C.  Barrell,  F.  M.  Bourland,  J.  G.  Boyd, 
J.  M.  Boyles,  I.  Braun,  H.  E.  Brown,  C.  E.  Bruhl,  W.  M. 
Brumby,  San  Antonio,  J.  M.  Burditt,  E.  F.  Cooke,  I.  E.  Cotting- 
ham,  R.  L.  Cox,  P.  H.  Cronin,  E.  P.  Daviss,  J.  B.  DuBose, 
Humble,  J.D.Duckett,  J.  C.  A.  Eckhardt,  Austin,  W,  R.  Eckhardt, 
Wm.  Ehrhardt,  Westfield,  F.  G.  Eidman,  B.  V.  Ellis,  Houston 
Heights,  H.  A.  Englehardt,  B.  C.  Eskridge,  H.  C.  Feagan,  J.  H. 
Florence,  F.  C.  Ford,  J.  H.  Foster,  W.  A.  Garrett,  J.  P.  Gibbs,  C. 
E.  Gray,  E.  E.  Grant,  Cypress,  E.  N.  Gray,  A.  E.  Greer,  C.  C. 


130  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Green,  E.  L.  Goar,  H.  R.  Gilliam,  G.  W.  Griffith,  LaPorte,  W.  A. 
Haley,  G.  P.  Hall,  Gavin  Hamilton,  E.  G.  Hamilton,  J.  Ai  Hill, 
C.  W.  Hoeflich,  J.  E.  Hodges,  A.  P.  Howard,  R.  H.  Harrison,  J. 

A.  James,  F.  B.  King,  R.  W.  Knox,  A.  Krause,  J.  A,  Kyle,  G. 
W.  Larendon,  J.  W.  Lane,  E.  H.  Lancaster,  Z.  F.  Lillard,  S.  M. 
Lister,  W.  H.  Martin,  G.  H.  Meyer,  K.  N.  Miller,  G.  S.  Milnes, 
R.  H.  Moers,  H.  C.  Moore,  J.  T.  Moore,  S.  H.  Moore,  R.  T. 
Morris,  J.  A.  Mullen,  E.  C.  Murray,  A.  J.  Mynatt,  C.  W.  Nelson, 

F.  H.  Neuhaus,  O.  L.  Norsworthy,  S.  G.  Northrup,  C.  F.  Payne, 

G.  D.    Parker,    W.    G.    Priester,    I.    E.    Pritchett,    Wallace 
Ralston,  S.  C.  Red,  G.  J.  Robinson,  W.  L.  Rogers,  F.  R.  Ross, 
J.  W.  Sandlin,  Humble,  P.  H.  Scardino,  J.  W.  Scott,  R.  T.  Scott, 
W.  N.  Shaw,  T.  W.  Shearer,  J.  L.  Short,  E.  S.  Silbernagel,  F.  B. 
Smith,  P.  L.  Smith,  S.  J.  Smith,  F.  J.  Slataper,  J.  R.  Stuart,  . 
M.  B.  Stokes,  C.  0.  Terrell,  W.  B.  Thorning,  R.  H.  Towles,  Hous- 
ton Heights,  S.  V.  Wagner,  C.  A.  Wallace,  C.  D.  Warren,  A.  E. 
White,  R.  D.  Wilson,  M.  A.  Wood,  W.  M.  Wier,  E.  A.  Wright,  F. 

B.  Wilkes  and  J.  B.  York. 

All  of  the  physicians  live  in  Houston  except  those  whose  resi- 
dence is  designated.  The  association  has  been  very  active  and 
has  favored  preventive  measures  against  disease.  Among  the  men 
who  have  been  prominent  as  its  presidents  have  been  Drs.  E.  N. 
Gray,  J.  P.  Gibbs,  W.  M.  Wier,  W.  W.  Ralston,  J.  H.  Foster, 
J.  T.  Moore,  and  E.  F.  Cooke. 

In  1911  the  association  began  the  publication  of  a  bulletin 
containing  the  discussions  at  the  meetings  and  giving  matters 
of  medical  news  to  the  physicians. 

The  city  of  Houston  has  a  thoroughly  organized  health 
department.  The  city  administration  has  taken  especial  pains 
to  guard  the  public  health,  and  while  the  indigent  sick  are 
carefully  treated  and  nursed,  the  principal  efforts  of  the  health 
department  are  directed  towards  the  prevention,  rather  than 
the  cure  of  disease.  In  this  great  work  the  department  has 
been  materially  aided  by  the  wisdom  of  the  commission  in 
obtaining  an  abundant  supply  of  pure  water  and  in  extending 
the  water  main,  so  as  to  furnish  the  citizens  pure  and  wholesome 
water  for  all  purposes.  The  great  benefit  of  this  is  shown  by  the 


Medical  History  131 

decreased  death  rate  from  year  to  year,  which  decrease  keeps 
pace  with  the  extension  of  the  water  mains.  Then,  too,  the 
department  retains  the  services  of  a  skilled  pathologist  and 
bacteriologist,  who  carries  on  investigations  relating  to  the  purity 
of  milk,  water,  foods,  etc.,  as  well  as  diagnosing  and  locating 
transmissible  diseases. 

An  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  work  carried  on  by  the  health 
department  may  be  formed  from  the  statement  that  during  the 
municipal  year  ending  February  28th,  last,  there  were  4,000 
patients  treated  at  the  city  dispensary,  550  at  the  hospital  and 
36  at  the  pest  camp.  The  department  also  vaccinated  2,000 
school  children;  fumigated  783  rooms,  2  automobiles  and  7  box 
cars  for  the  following  diseases : 

Tuberculosis  349  rooms 

Diphtheria  157     " 

Smallpox  147     " 

Scarlet  Fever  54     " 

Typhoid  Fever  49     " 

Pneumonia  5     ' ' 

Scabes 2     " 

Causes  not  specified  100     " 

Cerebro-spinal   Meningitis 16     " 

Smallpox .'. 7  Box  Cars 

Scarlet  Fever  „ 2  automobiles 

During  the  year  1910  there  occurred  in  the  city  of  Houston 
1,386  deaths,  of  which  822  were  whites  and  564  negroes.  The 
death  rate  was  13.5  per  thousand,  that  for  the  whites  being  10.7 
per  thousand  and  for  the  negroes  22.1  per  thousand.  There 
were  1,654  births  reported;  1,312  white  and  342  negro. 

The  pathological  laboratory  under  the  management  of  Dr. 
F.  J.  Slataper,  has  been  no  less  busily  engaged.  During  the  year 
1,781  chemical  and  microscopical  examinations  were  made.  These 
coyer  a  wide  range  from  the  simple  testing  of  milk  to  the  most 
complicated  investigation  of  disease  germs.  The  list  of  exam- 
inations shows  the  scope  of  the  department  activity. 

Cultures  examined  for  diphtheria  .. _  45 

Specimens  of  sputum  examined  for  tuberculosis 209 


132 


History  of  Houston,  Texas 


Tuberculin  test  in  human .-. 1 

Specimens  of  blood  examined  for  typhoid  fever 48 

Specimens  of  blood  smear  examined  for  malaria 38 

Feces  examined  for  ova  of  intestinal  parasites 23 

Specimens  of  urine  examined — chemically 316 

Specimens  of  urine  examined — microscopically  168 

Samples  of  food  examined  53 

Samples  of  milk  collected  and  examined  322 

Samples  of  milk  brought  to  the  laboratory  and  examined 113 

Total  samples  of  milk  examined  435 

Samples  of  city  water  collected  and  examined 9 

Stomach  contents  examined  4 

A  city  hospital  was  established  in  1838  but  only  lasted  a 
few  years.  About  1868,  the  city  having  obtained  ownership  of 
the  block  between  McKinney  and  Lamar  Avenues  and  Carolina 
and  Austin  Streets,  decided  to  establish  a  city  hospital  there.  An 
arrangement  was  made,  whereby  the  county  should  have  the 
right  to  use  the  hospital  also,  by  paying  a  fixed  amount  for  each 
patient  sent  there,  but  should  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  control  or  management  of  the  institution.  Houston 
had  a  regular  city  physician  and  the  county  had  its 
physician  also,  but  neither  of  these  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  hospital,  which  was  under  the  control  of  a  physi- 
cian who  took  it  under  contract,  receiving  a  fixed  amount,  based 
on  the  number  of  patients  under  treatment,  and  paying  all  the 
expenses  of  the  institution  himself.  Dr.  Charles  Owens  was  the 
first  physician  to  take  charge  of  the  hospital  under  the  contract 
system  and  continued  at  the  head  of  the  institution,  until  his 
death  in  1874.  Soon  after  that  a  new  lease  or  contract  was  made 
with  Dr.  T.  J.  Boyles  and  Dr.  D.  F.  Stuart  and  the  location  of 
the  hospital  was  changed.  The  McKinney  property  was  dis- 
posed of  and  the  hospital  was  removed  to  the  old  Brashear  home, 
located  on  the,  then,  city  limit  line,  on  the  Houston  and  Texas 
Central  Railroad  opposite  Glenwood  Cemetery.  The  hospital 
remained  at  that  location  for  several  years  and  Drs.  Stuart  and 
Boyles  introduced  many  new  methods  and  improvements. 

Prosperity  necessitated  the  purchasing  of  a  site  near  where 


Medical  History  133 

the  Grand  Central  depot  stands,  and  erecting  a  commodious  hos- 
pital building  on  it.  They  still  retained  their  contract  with  the 
city  and  county,  but  established  pay  wards  and  private  rooms, 
possibly  the  first  thing  of  the  kind  in  Texas.  They  also  con- 
tracted with  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad  to  treat 
the  sick  and  injured  employes  of  that  road  and  also  with  other 
railroads  for  similar  service.  This  hospital  was  known  as  the 
railroad  hospital  until  the  erection  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Hos- 
pital began  in  1910.  It  is  still  in  operation  as  a  private  hospital. 

Not  barring  even  the  famed  Charity  Hospital  of  New 
Orleans  it  is  safe  to  claim  that  in  the  Southern  Pacific  Hospital, 
completed  in  1911,  Houston  has  the  finest  railroad  hospital  in  the 
South  and  the  equal  of  any  in  the  country.  No  expense  has  been 
spared  in  constructing  the  building  and  its  equipment  is  all  that 
scientific  knowledge  could  make  it.  As  every  one  familiar  with 
the  subject  knows,  the  building  and  equipping  of  a  hospital  is 
only  one  item  of  cost,  for  the  successful  and  proper  conducting 
of  such  an  institution  costs  far  more  than  all  else.  Thi«!  money 
comes  from  the  voluntary  contributions  of  the  employees  of  the 
various  roads  of  that  great  system.  These  contributions  are 
very  small  for  each  individual  but  in  the  aggregate,  amount  to 
a  large  sum  monthly. 

The  location  of  the  hospital  is  ideal.  It  is  far  removed 
from  the  noise  and  bustle  of  the  city,  and  though 
within  easy  reach  of  the  heart  of  the  city,  is  as  far  as  pos- 
sible in  the  country.  It  is  in  the  Fifth  ward,  on  the 
sloping  bank  of  White  Oak  Bayou  and  the  site,  being  some- 
what elevated,  gives  a  good  view  of  the  woods  and  stream 
on  the  one  side  and  of  the  city  on  the  other  side.  On  the 
staff  of  the  hospital  are  :  Dr.  R.  W.  Knox,  chief  surgeon ;  Dr.  E. 
J.  Hamilton,  assistant  surgeon;  Dr.  0.  S.  Moore,  interne;  Dr. 
J.  E.  Greene,  interne ;  Miss  M.  F.  McMasters,  superintendent. 

The  building  is  steam  heated,  cleaned  by  vacuum  cleaners, 
lighted  by  electricity  and  gas,  has  numerous  bathrooms  on  each 
floor  but  only  one  or  two  bath  tubs  in  the  whole  building,  these 
being  done  away  with  as  far  as  possible  and  the  shower  and 
needle  baths  substituted.  There  is  an  abundant  supply  of  both 


134  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

hot  and  cold  water  at  all  times,  and  on  each  floor  is  a  good 
supply  of  sterilized  water  for  use  in  special  cases.  The 
wards  are  large  and  each  is  furnished  plainly  but  very 
attractively  and  comfortably.  The  beds  are  the  ordinary  hos- 
pital iron  frames  with  absolutely  luxurious  mattresses  and 
snow  white  linen.  The  chairs  and  tables  are  dark  oak  and  rose 
wood,  while,  on  the  walls  are  attractive  pictures.  One  of  the 
most  striking  features  of  each  ward  and  private  room  is  the 
lighting.  No  electric  light  is  visible,  the  lighting  being  done 
by  reflection  and  diffusion.  This  does  away  with  all  glare  and 
makes  the  light  very  pleasing  to  the  eye. 

There  are  several  operating  rooms,  each  completely  fur- 
nished with  operating  tables  and  equipped  with  all  aseptic  acces- 
sories and  a  complete  equipment  of  instruments.  On  the  ground, 
or  basement  floor  there  is  an  emergency  operating  room,  equipped 
in  every  way  as  the  others  are  and  always  ready  for  instant  use. 

The  X-ray  laboratory  is  complete  in  every  way  and  is  con- 
stantly used  in  determining  the  extent  of  injury  to  bones.  One 
feature  of  its  use  that  has  been  very  beneficial  to  the  men  who 
have  gone  there  for  treatment  for  supposed  fractures,  has  been 
the  demonstration  through  the  X-ray  that  the  injuries  have 
been  to  the  ligaments  and  sinews  and  not  to  the  bones,  thus 
enabling  them  to  avoid  long  delays  for  observation  and  con- 
sequent loss  of  time  on  their  part. 

The  laboratory  of  clinical  pathology  is  very  complete.  Every 
facility  for  making  a  rapid  and  proper  diagnosis  of  obscure 
diseases  is  furnished  the  surgeons.  Only  graduated  trained 
nurses  are  employed  in  the  hospital. 

The  Baptist  Sanitarium,  located  on  the  corner  of  Lamar 
Avenue  and  Smith  Street,  is  one  of  the  most  complete  institu- 
tions of  its  kind  in  the  South.  Every  arrangement  has  been  made 
for  the  treatment  and  comfort  of  its  patrons  and  its  fixtures  and 
appliances  are  all  modern  and  of  the  latest  models.  The  building 
is  steam  heated  and  both  electricity  and  gas  are  used  in  lighting. 
It  is  four  stories  high  and  has  a  capacity  for  fifty  patients.  The 
wards  and  private  rooms  are  arranged  so  as  to  secure  the  great- 
est comfort,  and  everything  is  done  for  the  welfare  of  the 


Medical  History  135 

patients.  The  operating  room  is  located  on  the  fourth  floor  and 
is  modern  in  every  way.  It  is  large,  well  lighted  and  thoroughly 
equipped  with  everything  that  goes  with  a  first-class  operating 
room. 

Graduated  trained  nurses  are  employed  and  there  is  also 
a  school  for  nurses  in  connection  with  the  sanitarium.  Dr.  D. 
R.  Pevato  is  the  superintendant  in  charge  and  is  personally 
responsible  for  many  of  the  modern  improvements  installed. 

Today  no  city  of  its  size  in  the  United  States  is  better 
equipped  with  hospitals  and  private  infirmaries  than  Houston. 
These  are  modern  and  up-to-date  in  every  way,  the  strictest 
aseptic  rules  having  been  adhered  to  in  their  construction  and 
every  precaution  taken  against  contagion  and  infection.  Before 
the  discoveries  of  modern  medicine  and  surgery,  hospitals  were 
regarded,  with  much  truth  and  justice,  as  hot-beds  of  contagion 
and  infection,  particularly  the  latter.  Today  it  can  be  truth- 
fully asserted  that  the  modern  hospital  is  freer  from  the  danger 
of  contracting  disease  than  any  other  place  in  a  community,  for 
contagious  and  infectious  diseases  are  not  only  intelligently 
treated,  but  their  spread  and  propagation  are  effectually  stamped 
out  by  scientific  methods.  Houston  has  a  number  of  such  insti- 
tutions, which  measure  up  to  the  highest  standard  of  usefulness 
and  comfort. 

The  best  known  of  the  private  hospitals  is  the  Norsworthy 
hospital. 

The  Norsworthy  hospital  is  located  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  San  Jacinto  Street  and  Rosalie  Avenue  and  is  in  the  quietest 
and  most  attractive  resident  part  of  the  city.  It  is  a  large  three- 
story  brick  building  with  a  spacious  over-ground  basement.  The 
top  floor  is  arranged  for  an  operating  room  and  its  accessories 
and  adjuncts,  and  on  this  floor  are  the  rooms  for  the  nurses. 
The  second  and  third  floors  are  for  patients  alone,  and  these 
rooms  are  so  arranged  that  one  can  have  a  ward  bed,  a  single 
room  with  or  without  a  private  bath  or  two  connecting  rooms 
with  or  without  a  private  bath. 

The  whole  building  is  heated  by  hot  water  radiation; 
cleaned  by  automatic  electric  vacuum  cleaners;  plumbed  for 


136  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

gas  and  wired  for  electric  lights,  call  bu/zers,  private  telephones 
and  fans.  An  electric  elevator  and  dumb  waiter  are  parts  of 
the  equipirent. 

All  the  floors  are  doubled  with  deadening  felt  between  them. 
The  exposed  flooring  is  of  especially  selected  rift  lumber.  The 
entire  building  is  plastered.  The  walls  are  in  various  oil  tints, 
so  as  to  add  cheerfulness  to  each  room.  The  interior  finish  is 
according  to  strict  aseptic  rules  throughout,  rounded  corners 
and  smooth  wood  with  enamel  finish.  The  operating  room  has 
all  the  accessories  of  a  modern  aseptic  hospital.  The  floor  and 
wainscoating  are  of  Terrazo,  and  the  walls  and  ceiling  are  white 
enamel.  It  has  a  complete  equipment  of  instruments  and  an 
aseptic  operating  table.  The  room  is  excellently  lighted  for  both 
day  and  night  work.  Adjoining  the  operating  room  is  a  steril- 
izing room  for  instruments  and  dressings,  a  dressing  and  steril- 
izing room  for  surgeons,  and  an  anaesthetic  room. 

The  X-ray  laboratory  is  equipped  with  the  Scheidel  Western 
X-ray  Company's  special  hospital  outfit,  complete  for  radiograph 
work,  and  a  dark  room  equipped  with  photographic  apparatus 
for  quick  developing.  The  laboratory  of  clinical  pathology  has 
a  complete  equipment  of  instruments  and  apparatus  necessary 
for  all  bacteriological  and  pathological  work ;  embracing  blood, 
urine,  stomach  contents,  sputum,  feces,  tumors,  tissues,  vaccine 
therapy,  milk  and  water  analysis.  This  laboratory  is  under  the 
direct  charge  of  Dr.  E.  H.  Lancaster,  the  house  surgeon  and 
pathologist,  who  was  formerly  pathologist  for  the  State  Board  of 
Health.  Only  graduated  nurses  are  employed  in  this  hospital. 
Dr.  0.  L.  Norsworthy  is  surgeon-in-chief  and  is  assisted  by  two 
house  surgeons,  Dr.  J.  P.  Gibbs  and  Dr.  E.  H.  Lancaster. 

With  little  or  no  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  sanitation  or 
hygiene  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  early  settlers  were  the  vic- 
tims of  frequent  and  fatal  epidemics.  Their  mode  of  life  and 
surroundings  were  conducive  to  disease,  and  being,  necessarily, 
ignorant  of  the  causes  of  many  of  the  most  fatal  diseases,  a 
statement  which  applies  with  equal  force  to  the  physicians  of 
that  day  in  spite  of  their  great  learning,  proper  preventive 
measures  were  seldom  ever  adopted  and  all  that  was  done,  or 


Medical  History  137 

could  be  done,  was  to  cope  with  the  disease  after  it  had  devel- 
oped and  secured  a  foothold. 

The  result  was  that  Houston  was  frequently  swept  by 
epidemics  of  cholera  and  yellow  fever.  In  1839  there  was  a 
severe  epidemic  of  yellow  fever.  A  number  of  planters  and 
farmers  from  the  older  states  had  settled  in  or  near  Houston, 
bringing  their  slaves  with  them,  thus  supplying  abundant  mater- 
ial for  the  ravages  of  the  fever  when  it  appeared.  It  is  a  well 
known  fact  that  negroes  are  more  or  less  immune  from  yellow 
fever,  but  the  epidemic  of  1838  seems  to  have  been  an  exception 
to  this  rule  for  the  mortality  among  the  negroes  was  very  great. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  the  fact  that  the  fever  appeared  in  Gal- 
veston  before  coming  to  Houston  and  that  its  appearance  here 
followed  the  arrival  of  a  man  who  had  been  sick  in  Galveston, 
but  had  recovered  and  come  here. 

In  1843  there  was  another  great  epidemic  of  yellow  fever 
during  which  the  mortality  was  very  great.  There  was  lack  of 
proper  food,  and  but  few  nurses  and  physicians  to  care  for  the 
sick  so  that  the  mortality  that  year  was  spoken  of  ever  after  when 
making  comparison  with  subsequent  epidemics.  The  disease 
appears  to  have  been  peculiarly  fatal  that  year,  whole  families 
being  swept  away. 

In  1845  or  .1846  Houston  had  its  first  epidemic  of  cholera. 
The  negroes  seem  to  have  been  the  principal  victims,  though 
many  whites  were  attacked  also.  There  is  no  record  of  the  mor- 
tality although,  according  to  tradition,  it  was  rather  heavy  and 
confined  almost  exclusively  to  the  negroes. 

From  1843  to  1847  there  was  no  yellow  fever  in  Houston. 
During  these  four  years  the  population  had  increased  and  the 
town  had  taken  on  quite  respectable  proportions.  Thus  there 
was  an  abundance  of  new  material  for  the  disease  when  it 
made  its  appearance  late  in  the  summer  of  1847.  That  year 
resembled  1843  in  the  number  of  fatal  cases,  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  physicians  were  among  the  very  first  victims.  It  is  said 
that  in  proportion  to  the  population,  more  physicians  lost  their 
lives  during  the  epidemic  of  1847  than  in  any  other  of  those  that 


138  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

followed.  This  fact  may  in  a  measure  account  for  the  great  mor- 
tality among  the  people. 

In  1853  and  again  in  1858  and  1859  Houston  was  scourged 
by  yellow  fever.  The  epidemic  of  1858  was  marked  by  great 
mortality.  Houston's  population  at  that  time  was  between 
8,000  and  10,000,  and  while  there  is  no  official  record  of  the 
fact,  it  was  estimated  that  the  deaths  that  year  were  close  to 
1,800. 

From  1859  to  1863,  Houston  appears  to  have  escaped  the 
visitations  of  yellow-fever,  but  in  1863  there  was  an  epidemic 
though  by  no  means  a  severe  one  compared  with  those  which  had 
preceded  it.  This  is  all  the  more  remarkable  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  at  that  time  there  were  thousands  of  soldiers  here, 
very  few  of  whom  had  ever  been  exposed  to  the  fever. 

In  1866,  Houston  had  its  second  epidemic  of  cholera.  The 
disease  was  confined  exclusively  to  the  negro  population.  Con- 
ditions were  very  favorable  among  them  for  its  propagation. 
They  had  only  recently  been  freed  and  had  not  yet  learned  even 
the  first  principles  of  how  to  care  for  themselves.  They  were 
congregated  in  huts  and  hovels  and  made  not  even  a  pretence 
of  living  clean  and  sanitary  lives.  There  were  not  so  many  fatal 
cases  as  might  be  supposed  and  after  a  month  or  so  of  intelligent 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  health  authorities,  the  disease  was 
stamped  out. 

The  next  year,  1867,  occurred  one  of  the  greatest  yellow 
fever  epidemics  that  ever  cursed  Houston.  The  first  cases 
occurred  early  in  August  and  the  plague  lasted  until  late  in 
December,  the  last  deaths  occurring  two  days  after  Christmas. 
Everything  was  very  favorable  for  the  spread  of  the  disease. 
The  town  was  full  of  strangers,  new  comers,  and  in  addition 
to  these,  there  was  the  army  of  occupation,  consisting  of  several 
thousand  Federal  troops,  few  of  whom  had  ever  been  exposed 
to  the  fever.  When  the  presence  of  the  fever  was  announced 
there  was  something  of  a  panic,  and  as  many  as  could  do  so  got 
away  from  the  city.  There  were  a  number  of  physicians  here, 
including  some  army  surgeons.  With  the  exception  of  some  of 
the  older  physicians  none  of  these  doctors  had  ever  seen  yellow 


Medical  History  139 

fever,  but,  be  it  said  to  their  glory,  not  one  deserted;  every 
man  remained  at  his  post,  though  a  great  many  of  them  paid 
the  penalty  of  their  lives  by  doing  so.  The  mortality  was  fright- 
ful, due  in  a  large  measure  to  lack  of  proper  nourishment,  proper 
nursing  and  medical  attention.  The  physicians  were  absolutely 
worked  down  and  while  they  did  all  that  they  could,  it  was 
physically  impossible  for  them  to  attend  to  hundreds  who  might 
have  been  saved  could  they  have  reached  them.  The  Federal 
soldiers  died  like  sheep.  There  were  about  2,500  of  them  and  of 
these  over  700  men  and  officers  died. 

The  mortality  among  the  citizens,  while  not  so  great,  was 
very  heavy.  On  one  day  alone,  September  26,  there  were  29 
deaths  in  the  city  exclusive  of  those  which  occurred  among  the 
soldiers. 

The  epidemic  of  1867  was  the  last  that  Houston  has  had, 
for  though  from  time  to  time  there  have  been  epidemics  of 
yellow  fever  at  other  Texas  cities,  notably  that  at  Calvert  in 
1873,  Houston  has  escaped.  In  1897  it  was  reported  that  there 
was  yellow  fever  in  Houston  and  Dr.  Guiteras,  a  government 
expert  was  sent  here  to  investigate.  He  pronounced  it  yellow 
fever  and  Houston  was  promptly  quarantined  against  by  all  Texas 
towns.  The  cases  were  then  investigated  by  such  yellow  fever 
experts  as  Dr.  D.  F.  Steuart  and  Dr.  R.  H.  Harrison,  who  had 
gone  through  a  number  of  yellow  fever  epidemics,  and  they, 
without  hesitation,  pronounced  the  disease  dengue  fever  and  all 
quarantine  was  promptly  raised.  .  The  people  knew  them  and 
had  perfect  confidence  in  their  judgment  and  experience. 

Before  closing  this  brief  history  of  the  medical  profession 
in  Houston  and  of  some  of  the  things  that  have  been  accom- 
plished by  it,  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  speak  of  the  attitude 
the  doctors  have  always  maintained  towards  quacks  and  those 
who  adopt  the  methods  of  the  charlatan.  They  have  always 
been  consistent  in  this  and  their  antagonism  at  times  has  been  so 
bitter  that  it  has  almost  defeated  itself  by  creating  sympathy 
for  those  whom  they  have  attacked.  This  has  been  particularly 
true  in  those  cases  where  the  attacks  have  been  based  only  on  the 
fact  that  the  sinning  doctor  advertised  in  the  newspapers.  The 


140  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

attitude  of  the  Houston  physicians  and  also  that  of  the  Houston 
newspapers  towards  the  advertising  doctor  is  well  shown  in  the 
following  instance: 

During  January,  1910,  the  South  Texas  District  Medical 
Association  held  a  session  in  Houston.  _  During  the  session  a 
banquet  was  given  which  was  attended  by  all  the  doctors  and 
some  of  the  Houston  editors.  Speeches  were  made,  the  principal 
topic  discussed  being  "Quackery  in  Houston."  Dr.  John  T. 
Moore,  president  of  the  Harris  County  Medical  Association,  spoke 
at  some  length  saying  that  Houston  was  a  hot-bed  for  quacks 
and  charlatans.  He  described  them  as  "criminals"  posing  as 
physicians  for  the  people.  Many  such,  he  declared,  had  been 
run  out  of  Dallas,  San  Antonio  and  other  Texas  cities,  but 
Houston  was  still  their  Mecca.  Here  they  established  resplendent 
suites  of  offices  and  extorted  from  the  ignorant,  large  sums  of 
money  for  which  they  gave  no  legitimate  professional  return. 
He  denounced  them  as  "swindlers"  and  "confidence  men"  and 
declared  that  the  newspapers  were  solely  responsible  for 
their  criminal  success.  The  newspapers  were  the  intermediary 
between  them  and  their  dupes,  whose  money  they  sought.  The 
newspapers  by  opening  their  advertising  columns  to  them  became 
not  only  their  solicitors  but  their  sponsors.  If  the  newspapers 
would  close  their  columns  to  these  men  and  refuse  to  print  their 
glowing  and  deceptive  advertisements,  these  fellows  would  be 
forced  to  seek  other  fields.  Doctors  Norsworthy  and  Parker  in- 
dorsed all  that  Doctor  Moore-  had  said  and  declared  that  if  the 
newspapers  would  assist  the  doctors  these  monsters  who  prey  on 
the  sick  and  afflicted  would  soon  be  run  out  of  town. 

Mr.  M.  E.  Foster,  president  of  the  Houston  Chronicle  Pub- 
lishing Company,  entered  a  strong  protest  against  the  attitude 
taken  by  the  physicians  towards  the  press.  He  admitted  that 
fraudulent  and  deceptive  advertisements,  claiming  to  cure  in- 
curable diseases,  should  be  rigidly  excluded  from  the  newspapers. 
But  he  claimed  it  was  difficult,  if  not  impossible  for  a  layman 
to  determine  just  what  was  fraudulent  and  what  was  legitimate. 

He  cited  the  fact  that  the  mosquito  theory  of  the  propagation 
of  yellow  fever  had  been  denounced  as  a  fraud  by  the  medical 


Medical  History  141 

profession  and  that  many  other  discoveries  of  real  merit  now 
accepted  universally  had  been  at  first  ridiculed  by  the  doctors. 
He  also  pointed  out  that  the  newspapers  were  always  ready  to 
co-operate  in  measures  for  the  public  health.  Thousands  of 
columns  of  space  have  been  freely  given  by  the  newspapers  in 
the  campaign  of  education  against  tuberculosis,  the  typhoid  fly, 
the  yellow  fever  and  malarial  fever  mosquito,  small-pox,  cholera 
and  other  diseases  although  the  physicians  still  retain  an  anti- 
quated and  inexcusable  prejudice  against  publicity  and  adver- 
tising. 


CHAPTER  X 

Church  History 


Founding  of  the  Evangelical  Churches  in  Houston.  Organiza- 
tion of  the  Baptists,  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and 
Episcopalians.  German  Lutheran  Churches,  Disciples  and 
Christian  Scientists.  The  Roman  Catholic  Institutions  in 
Houston.  Congregation  Beth  Israel  and  Hebrew  Syna- 
gogues. The  Houston  Y.  M.  C.  A. 


Under  the  spreading  branches  of  a  large  oak  tree,  that 
stood  on  Market  Square,  was  held  the  first  religious  service 
in  Houston.  The  minister  was  a  transient  Methodist  preacher, 
whose  name,  unfortunately,  has  not  been  handed  down  to 
posterity.  Thus  in  the  open  air,  seated  on  planks  laid  over 
convenient  logs,  the  early  Houstonians,  in  1837,  hears  the 
gospel.  The  good  man's  audience  was  composed  of  Christians 
of  all  denominations  and  beliefs,  for  at  that  time  the  Baptists, 
Methodists,  Presbyterians  and  Episcopalians,  had  not  formed 
themselves  into  local  church  organizations,  as  they  did  soon 
after. 

In  1838  or  1839,  the  Aliens  donated  two  or  three  lots,  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Main  and  Capitol  Streets,  to  the 
churches  of  Houston.  It  was  a  gift  specified  to  no  denomina- 
tion, but  was  for  the  use  of  all.  There  was  a  small  house 
erected  on  this  property  and  it  was  used  by  all  denominations 
except  the  Methodist,  who  used  the  Capitol,  a  block  further 
down  Main  Street.  The  Presbyterians  finally  fell  heirs  to  this 
property,  when  the  other  denominations  secured  locations  of 
their  own. 

On  April  10,  1841,  the  first  church  meeting  of  what 
is  now  the  First  Baptist  Church,  was  held  and  is  thus  recorded 
in  the  old  minutes : 


Church  History  143 

"Convened  at  the  usual  place  of  worship,  April  10,  A. 
D.,  1841,  in  the  City  of  Houston,  County  of  Harris,  Republic 
of  Texas,  members  of  Baptist  churches  from  different  parts 
of  the  United  States  and  of  the  Republic,  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  an  Evangelical  Church  of  Christ  of  the  regular 
Baptist  order. 

"On  motion  of  Brother  S.  P.  Andrews,  Brother  Huckins 
was  called  to  the  chair,  and  Brother  Gardner  Smith  was  chosen 
secretary  of  the  meeting  *  *  *  *  .  On  motion  of 
Brother  Bigalow,  Brother  S.  P.  Andrews  was  elected  to  serve 
as  deacon. 

"Constituent  Members:  Barnabas  Hascall,  Martha 
Mulryne,  Obedience  Smith,  Gardner  Smith,  Benjamin  M. 
George,  Abigail  Hascall,  Louisa  Jane  Schroder,  Charlotte  M. 
Fuller,  Israel  B.  Bigalow,  Elizabeth  C.  Wilson,  S.  P.  Andrews, 
Elizabeth  Anisworth,  Mary  George,  Mary  H.  Bigalow,  John 
Lawrence,  Mary  A.  Andrews,  Piety  L.  Hadley,  Sarah  L.  Robin- 
son, Hannah  Town,  Charlotte  Beach,  Kitty  Mulryne,  (colored), 
Melvina  Gray,  (colored),  Grace  League,  (colored),  Inda 
Schroder,  (colored)." 

The  usual  place  of  worship  spoken  of  in  the  minutes,  was 
the  general  meeting  house,  corner  of  Main  and  Capitol  Streets. 
Reverend  James  Huckins,  of  Galveston,  who  presided  at  the 
organization  of  the  church  became  its  first  pastor  and  continued 
as  such  until  the  latter  part  of  1845. 

After  the  organization  of  the  church,  two  devoted  and 
zealous  Christian  women,  Mrs.  Piety  L.  Hadley  and  Mrs. 
Charlotte  M.  Fuller  determined  through  their  own  exertions, 
to  build  a  church  edifice.  They  did  not  meet  with  much  encour- 
agement, not  even  from  members  of  their  own  families  but 
they  were  not  discouraged.  Some  one,  as  a  joke,  made  them 
a  present  of  a  mule.  They  fattened  this  animal  up  and  sold 
it,  thus  securing  the  nucleus  for  the  church  fund.  They 
organized  a  sewing  society,  made  useful  things,  gave  a  church 
fair  and  sold  them.  The  sale  of  the  mule  and  the  goods  at  the 
fair  netted  the  ladies  $450.  They  gave  another  fair  which 
earned  $900.  With  this  money  they  purchased  the  lots,  corner 


144  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  Travis  Street  and  Texas  Avenue,  where  the  first  church 
stood  for  so  many  years.  In  all  their  labors  and  trials  these 
ladies  had  the  untiring  aid  and  support  of  a  good  old  Christian, 
"Brother  Pilgrim." 

After  the  purchase  of  the  lots  the  ladies  wrote  to  Rev. 
William  M.  Tryan,  then  a  missionary  in  "Washington  County, 
asking  him  to  come  to  Houston  and  take  charge  of  the  church. 
Dr.  Tryan  accepted  the  call,  and,  on  February  1,  1846,  took 
charge  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  then  numbering  17  members. 
He  was  reputed  to  be  a  highly  educated  gentleman,  a  sincere 
Christian  and  an  earnest  worker,-  and  soon  commanded  the 
respect  and  love  of  the  whole  community.  Under  his  charge 
the  membership  grew  rapidly,  many  of  the  best  and  leading 
citizens  joining  the  church. 

He  at  once  began  securing  funds  to  erect  a  suitable  church 
building.  Owing  to  the  financial  weakness  of  his  church  and 
the  community  at  large,  he  had  to  look  elsewhere  for  assis- 
tance, and  obtained  the  greater  part  of  the  money  from  those 
of  the  faith  in  other  states.  He  received  material  assistance 
in  his  good  work  from  Mr.  ~W.  R.  Baker,  Mr.  T.  "W.  House 
and  Mr.  B.  A.  Shepard,  none  of  whom  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  but  all  except  Mr.  House  being  inclined 
towards  that  denomination.  The  building  was  completed  and 
dedicated  by  Dr.  Tryan,  just  four  months  before  his  death 
from  yellow  fever  in  November,  1847.  Before  the  building 
was  completed,  Mrs.  Hadley  and  other  ladies  had  organized 
a  Sunday  School. 

According  to  the  minutes  dated  June  6,  1846,  "on  motion 
of  Brother  E.  B.  Noble,  it  was  resolved  that  Elder  William 
M.  Tryan,  Brother  T.  B.  J.  Hadley,  Messrs  B.  A.  Shepard,  C. 
W.  Buckley,  N.  Fuller  and  William  R.  Baker  be  appointed 
a  board  of  trustees  for  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Houston, 
and  that  Brothers  Tryan  and  Hadley  be  authorized  and 
requested  to  take  the  legal  steps  for  the  incorporation  of  said 
church. ' ' 

At  another  conference  meeting  about  that  time,  Brother 
Bowers  was  authorized  to  buy  a  box  of  candles  for  the  church 


Church  History  145 

and  it  was  arranged  that  each  member  should  pay  his  or  her 
share  of  the  expense  of  the  transaction.  The  church  build- 
ing stood  on  the  corner  of  Travis  Street  and  Texas  Avenue, 
and  was  quite  an  imposing  structure  for  that  day.  It  had 
gothic  windows  and  a  high  steeple  and  was  considered  by 
some  of  the  old  fashioned  members  to  be  too  gaudy  for  the 
purposes  to  which  it  was  dedicated.  The  indignation  of  these 
good  brothers  over  the  gothic  windows  and  steeple  was  as 
nothing  to  that  which  was  shown  when  a  melodeon  was 
installed  and  a  choir  was  organized.  One  of  the  most  zealous 
of  the  objectors  went  to  the  length  of  slipping  into  the  church 
one  night,  stealing  the  melodeon  and  throwing  it  into  the 
bayou,  where  it  remained  for  a  long  time  until  scooped  out 
by  a  dredge-boat. 

A  fine  bell  was  presented  to  the  church  in  November, 
1850,  and  for  years  was  hung  in  the  steeple,  that  a  few  years 
before  had  excited  so  much  antagonism.  The  donor  was  Mr. 
William  McMahan,  one  of  the  members,  who  had  been  one 
of  the  principal  objectors  to  the  style  put  on  by  the  builders 
of  the  church,  but  who  seems  to  have  changed  his  views.  Mr. 
B.  A.  Shepard  generously  assisted  the  church  in  a  financial 
way  all  through  its  early  experience  as  did -also  Mr.  W.  R. 
Baker.  Later,  when  the  gas  works  were  built,  Mr.  T.  W.  House 
presented  the  church  with  gas  fixtures. 

On  the  death  of  Dr.  Tryan,  the  church  called  Rev.  R.  C. 
Burleson,  then  of  Kentucky,  as  pastor  of  the  church.  He 
proved  to  be  a  worthy  successor  of  the  lamented  Tryan,  and 
under  his  charge  the  church  grew  and  prospered.  He  remained 
with  the  church  for  a  little  more  than  three  years,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  Chilton  of  Alabama.  Mr.  Chilton 
had  been  a  prominent  lawyer  and  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Congress  for  some  years  but  had  relinquished  all  earthly 
honors  and  glory  to  take  up  the  work  of  a  humble  minister 
of  Christ.  He  was  a  fine  orator,  a  thorough  Christian  and 
a  zealous  worker  and  many  accessions  to  the  church  marked 
his  pastorate. 

Of  Mr.  Chilton 's  immediate  successors  the  church  records 


146  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

furnish  little  definite  information.  The  frequent  removals 
together  with  the  Civil  War  troubles  greatly  damaged  the 
church  work.  Rev.  Mr.  Tucker  was  pastor  when  the  war 
broke  out  and  promptly  laid  down  the  cross  and  took  up 
the  sword.  He  raised  a  company,  was  elected  its  captain, 
and  commanded  it  during  the  war.  Then  came  Rev.  F.  M. 
Law,  followed  by  Rev.  J.  B.  Link,  who  had  also  been  a 
Confederate  soldier  during  the  war  but  who  took  charge  of 
the  church  after  the  war  was  over.  Rev.  J.  T.  Zealy  became 
pastor  September  16,  1869,  and  served  the  church  for  six 
years.  During  his  ministry  two  chapels,  one  in  the  Fourth 
and  the  other  in  the  Fifth  ward,  were  built  and  mission  Sun- 
day schools  were  established.  In  addition  to  that  the  prop- 
erty at  the  corner  of  Rusk  Avenue  and  Fannin  Street  was 
purchased.  Following  Mr.  Zealy,  Rev.  Dr.  Horace  Clark 
occupied  the  pulpit  until  April  1,  1877,  when  Rev.  Dr.  J.  M. 
C.  Breaker  assumed  charge.  In  1883,  the  church  property  on 
Texas  Avenue  and  Travis  Street  was  sold  and  it  was  deter- 
mined to  erect  a  new  building  on  the  property  owned  by 
the  church,  on  Rusk  Avenue  and  Fannin  Street.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  new  church  was  laid  July  23,  1883,  with  imposing 
ceremony,  and  the  new  church,  though  not  quite  completed, 
was  opened  the  first  time  for  services,  Sunday,  January  27, 
1884,  Dr.  Breaker,  the  pastor,  preaching  an  appropriate  sermon 
to  a  large  congregation. 

When  the  great  storm  of  1900,  swept  over  the  gulf  coast 
the  Baptist  church  on  Rusk  and  Fannin  was  so  badly  damaged 
that  it  had  to  be  torn  down.  It  was  then  determined  to 
abandon  that  site  and  erect  a  new  church  one  block  further 
south  on  the  corner  of  Fannin  Street  and  Walker  Avenue. 
The  new  building  was  completed  in  1903,  and  is  one  of  the 
handsomest  churches  of  Houston.  It  is  of  gothic  architecture 
and  the  materials  used  in  its  construction  are  stone,  brick, 
and  concrete.  It  extends  75  feet  on  Fannin  Street  and  111 
feet  on  Walker  Avenue.  At  the  corner  is  a  tower  of  moderate 
height  which  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  building.  The 


Chunch  History  147 

windows  are  all  of  stained  glass.  Dr.  J.  B.  Riley  an  eminent 
scholar  and  historian,  was  pastor  at  the  time. 

Rev.  Dr.  J.  L.  Gross  became  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  November  1,  1905,  and  has  remained  with  the  church 
ever  since.  He  had  come  to  Houston  a  few  weeks  before  and 
had  delivered  one  or  two  sermons  which  so  pleased  the  mem- 
bers that  they  made  a  successful  effort  to  retain  him  per- 
manently as  their  pastor,  and  they  have  never  had  reason 
to  regret  doing  so.  He  was  called  to  take  charge  by  a 
unanimous  vote  of  the  church.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  strong  men  of  the  Baptist  church  and  his  influence  for 
good  has  been  very  great.  Like  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chilton,  Rev.  Dr. 
Gross  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  before  entering 
the  ministry.  Born  in  Georgia,  he  was  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Georgia,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts 
and  Bachelor  of  Law,  and  later  took  a  course  in  the  Southern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary  at  Louisville,  Ky.  His  first 
church  work  was  at  Washington,  Ga.  He  then  accepted  a  call 
to  Griffin,  Ga.,  and  from  there  went  to  Selma,  Alabama, 
whence  he  came  to  Houston. 

In  1905,  Rev.  H.  C.  Smith  organized  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Houston  Heights  and  under  his  ministry  a  beautiful 
house  of  worship  was  built. 

The  Baptist  Temple  was  organized  June  21st,  1908,  in 
Houston  Heights,  with  a  constituent  membership  of  20.  The 
Rev.  F.  Huhns  presided  at  the  organization  and  was  elected 
pastor.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Rochester  Theological 
Seminary  and  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary 
at  Louisville,  Ky.  He  had  been  engaged  in  missionary  work 
in  Philadelphia,  Chicago  and  other  large  Eastern  and  Northern 
cities,  and,  for  three  years  before  coming  to  Houston,  had 
been  missionary  evangelist  of  the  Union  Baptist  Association. 
Rev.  Evander  Ammons  is  now  in  charge,  Mr.  Huhns  having 
resigned  to  take  charge  of  a  church  in  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  Baptist  churches  and 
Baptist  missions  in  Houston,  today:  First  German  Baptist 
Church,  Rev.  F.. Severs,  pastor;  First  Baptist  Church,  Houston 


148  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Heights,  Yale  Street,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth  Streets,  Rev. 
C.  A.  Earl,  pastor;  Lee  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  Houston 
Heights;  Brunner  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  W.  P.  Grow,  pastor; 
Liberty  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  Robert  Carrol,  pastor; 
Calvary  Baptist  Church,  Preston  Avenue  and  Sampson  Street, 
Rev.  J.  E.  Treloar,  pastor;  Tuam  Avenue  Baptist  Church, 
corner  Tuam  Avenue  and  Fannin  Street,  Rev.  J.  W.  Loving, 
pastor.  This  is  the  South  End  Church. 

Bishop  Street  Baptist  Church,  corner  Bishop  and  Fletcher 
Streets,  Fifth  ward,  Rev.  Thornton  A.  Payne,  pastor;  The 
Emanuel  Baptist  Church,  Brook  Smith  Addition,  Rev.  George 
II.  Lee,  pastor;  Tabernacle  Baptist,  Rev.  D.  C.  Freeman, 
pastor. 

All  of  these  churches  have  church  homes,  some  of  them 
very  handsome.  Thr>y  hnve  *>een  served  by  capable  and 
consecrated  pastors. 

There  are  many  negro  Baptist  churches  in  Houston,  the 
number  of  negro  Baptists  in  the  city  being  greater  than  that 
of  the  whites.  They  have  several  handsome  churches. 

The  organization  of  the  Methodist  church  in  Houston 
was  unique  in  one  way.  While  the  preliminary  steps  in  the 
formation  of  each  of  the  other  denominations  were  taken  by 
at  least  two  or  three  zealous  Christian  men  and  women,  the 
foundation  of  the  Methodist  church  was  the  act  of  a  single 
individual, — Mr.  Charles  Shearn.  Mr.  Shearn  was  an  English- 
man, having  been  born  in  England,  October  30,  1794.  He  died 
in  Houston,  November  12,  1871.  He  came  to  Texas  in  1834, 
and  settled  in  west  Texas.  When  General  Urrea  marched 
from  San  Patricio  to  Goliad,  he  captured  Mr.  Shearn,  who 
was  a  member  of  a  small  company  of  Texans,  and  would  have 
shot  him  but  for  the  fact  that  Mr.  Shearn  was  an  English- 
man and  claimed  to  be  an  English  subject.  Mexico  respected 
and  feared  England  too  much  to  ill-treat  one  of  her  subjects, 
and  that  fact  saved  Charles  Shearn. 

He  removed  to  Houston  in  1837,  the  year  following  San 
Jacinto,  and  spent  his  life  here,  leaving  behind  him  the 
respect,  love  and  admiration  of  the  whole  community.  Mr. 


Chunsh  History  149 

Shearn  began  life  in  Houston  'as  a  merchant  and  prospered. 
The  first  year  of  his  residence  here  he  induced  a  Methodist 
missionary  to  come  here  from  the  states,  and  took  him  to  his 
home,  as  his  personal  guest.  This  was  a  Mr.  Sommers,  and 
it  was  perhaps  he  who  held  the  first  religious  service  in 
Houston,  under  the  old  tree  on  Market  Square,  referred  to 
elsewhere.  Mr.  Shearn  kept  Mr.  Sommers  as  his  guest  and 
together  they  succeeded  in  gathering  a  sufficient  number  of 
sympathizers,  to  form  a  Methodist  class.  In  1842,  they  deter- 
mined to  build  a  church,  and  Mr.  Shearn  was  made  chairman 
of  the  building  committee.  The  Morning  Star,  in  1843,  had 
this  notice  of  the  proposed  church : 

''The  Morning  Star  has  been  informed  that  the  Methodist 
Society  of  this  city  has  obtained,  chiefly  through  the  liberality 
of  the  brethren  in  the  United  States,  sufficient  funds  to  erect 
a  large  and  commodious  church.  It  has  been  planned  to  lay 
the  corner-stone  of  the  building,  March  2,  the  anniversary 
of  Texas  independence.  The  building  is  to  be  of  brick,  about 
60  feet  by  35  feet.  Most  of  the  material  has  been  bought  and 
paid  for  and  the  construction  of  the  building  will  be  hastened 
as  rapidly  as  possible." 

The  corner-stone  of  the  brick  building  was  laid,  March  2, 
1843,  according  to  program,  local  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  a 
military  company  assisting  at  the  ceremonies.  Col.  James 
Riley,  one  of  the  most  eloquent  members  of  the  Houston  Bar, 
delivered  an  address  that  was  long  remembered.  Mr.  Shearn 
was  'Superintendent  of  construction  and  had  the  building 
completed  and  ready  for  occupancy,  the  following  May. 

On  May  7,  1844,  the  following  notice  was  published: 

"The  new  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  this  city  will 
be  open  for  Divine  service  on  next  Saturday  evening.  On 
Sunday  morning  the  dedication  sermon  will  be  preached  by 
the  Eev.  Mr.  Richardson,  president  of  Ruterville  College. 
Several  clergymen  from  the  county  will  be  in  attendance. 

(Signed) 
A.  Applewhite, 
C.  Shearn,  Building  Committee." 


150  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Among  those  citizens  who  contributed  largely  towards 
the  success  of  the  church,  were  Mr.  T.  W.  House,  Sr.,  who 
was  Mr.  Shearn's  son-in-law,  Mr.  Gregg,  Mr.  McGowan  and 
Mr.  Hardcastle.  The  church  was  in  constant  use  from  1844, 
until  1861,  when  it  was  blown  down  by  a  storm. 

A  large  wooden  building,  unceiled,  and  but  crudely  fin- 
ished, was,  constructed  on  the  site  at  Milam  Street  and  Texas 
Avenue,  and  in  this  building  for  several  years  the  Methodists 
held  their  meetings.  The  war,  lasting  from  1861  to  1865, 
followed  by  political  troubles  and  the  terrible  epidemic  of 
yellow-fever  in  1867,  caused  much  delay  in  building  a  new 
church.  Then,  too,  there  was  great  poverty  among  the  mem- 
bers and  as  these  seemed  satisfied  with  the  old  wooden  church, 
it  was  not  until  1871,  that  a  serious  effort  was  made  to  erect 
a  suitable  building.  That  year  Mr.  Shearn  saw  the  possibili- 
ties of  building  a  new  church,  and  Messrs.  House,  Gregg, 
McGowan  and  Hardcastle  again  came  to  his  assistance,  with 
the  result  that  what  was  known  as  Shearn  Church  was  erected 
on  the  old  site  of  the  first  building.  Credit  for  building 
Shearn  Church  is  due  almost  entirely  to  Mr.  Shearn  who 
paid  the  greater  part  of  the  cost  of  constructing  it.  The 
Methodists  clung  to  the  old  location  on  Texas  Avenue  and 
Milam  Street  until  1907,  when  it  was  abandoned  and  a  new 
church,  which  was  called  the  First  Methodist  Church,  was 
erected  at  Clay  Avenue  and  Main  Street.  The  new  church 
fronts  125  feet  on  Main  and  runs  back  175  feet  on  Clay 
Avenue.  It  is  constructed  of  Bedford  gray  granite,  Powhatan 
pressed  gray  brick  and  pearl-tint  terra  cotta.  It  is  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  costly  structures  of  its  kind  in  the  South. 
Rev.  Dr.  W.  P.  Packard  is  the  present  pastor. 

St  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized, 
January  1,  1906,  with  a  membership  of  -130,  seventy-six  from 
other  churches,  fifty-four  by  letter  and  profession  of  faith. 
In  1907,  it  had  475  members  and  a  Sunday  school  of  450 
pupils,  a  Home  Missionary  Society  of  forty  members  and  a 
Young  Ladies'  Society  of  sixty-five  members. 

Before  the  contract  for  the  erection  of  its  house  of  wor- 


Church  History  151 

ship  had  been  let,  $130,000  was  raised.  Bishop  Seth  Ward 
turned  the  first  spade-full  of  earth.  Bishop  Key  named  the 
building  and  selected  an  organizer  and  builder  to  take  charge 
of  the  whole  matter.  The  plans  called  for  an  expenditure 
of  $175,000.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  with  religious  and 
Masonic  ceremonies  June  24,  1907,  and  until  the  building  was 
ready  for  occupancy,  the  congregation  met  in  a  small  chapel 
near  by.  The  lot  on  the  corner  of  McGowan  Avenue  and 
Milam  Street,  was  the  gift  of  Mrs.  J.  0.  Ross,  and  the  official 
board  of  the  church,  the  Women's  Societies  and  other  auxil- 
iaries were  organized  at  her  nearby  residence. 

The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  Dr.  George  S.  Sexton,  formerly 
chaplain  of  the  First  Texas  Infantry,  U.  S.  V.  Dr.  Sexton 
has  held  many  important  charges  and  was  a  remark- 
ably gifted  man  to  whom  the  greatest  credit  for  the  clas- 
sic edifice  is  due.  A  set  of  chimes  was  given  by  MTS.  M.  T. 
Jones.  The  church  has  art  windows,,  the  subjects  of  which 
are :  Portraits  of  John  and  Charles  Wesley ;  ' '  Christ  the 
Consoler";  "Christ  and  the  Doctors";  "Ruth,  the  Gleaner"; 
"Christ  in  Gethsemane";  "Mary  at  the  Tomb";  "The 
Ascension";  "Moses  and  the  Law".  In  the  Sunday  School 
room  special  windows  represent  the  flight  of  angels  through 
the  heavens  on  the  night  of  the  birth  of  Christ,  proclaiming 
"Peace  on  earth,  Good  Will  towards  men."  This  is  one  of 
the  most  artistic  and  beautifully  finished  buildings  to  be  found 
anywhere  in  this  country.  Its  exterior  is  of  classic  and 
Byzantine  lines,  the  building  being  in  an  architectural  class 
all  its  own.  The  method  of  getting  plans  for  the  building 
was  novel.  No  competitive  plans  were  submitted,  the 
architects  simply  developing  plans  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
the  building  committee.  A  committee  visited  the  notable 
churches  in  the  larger  cities  of  America  and  adopted  the  best 
features  of  some  and  rejected  the  bad  features  of  all  of  them. 
The  result  was  the  present  building.  Rev.  Dr.  Sam.  R.  Hay 
is  at  present  pastor  of  St.  Paul's,  and  under  his  charge  the 
church  continues  to  grow  and  extend  its  good  influence. 

In  addition  to  Shearn  Church,  now  called  the  First  M. 


152  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

E.  Church,  South,  and  St.  Paul's,  there  are  several  churches 
and  chapels  of  the  denomination  doing  good  work  in  various 
parts  of  Houston.  The  following  is  a  list  of  them:  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Tenth  and  Harvard  Streets, 
Houston  Heights,  Rev.  C.  L.  Elliott,  pastor;  Trinity  Methodist 
Church,  corner  Loraine  and  Gano  Streets,  Rev.  F.  G.  Clark, 
pastor;  Tabernacle  Methodist  Church,  corner  Polk  and  Caro- 
line Streets,  Rev.  W.  W.  Watts,  pastor;  Epworth  Methodist 
Church;  Brunner  Avenue  Methodist  Church,  Rev.  W.  W. 
Sherill,  pastor;  Grace  Methodist  Church,  Houston  Heights, 
Rev.  T.  M.  Brownlee,  pastor;  Harrisburg  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  Rev.  R.  C.  George,  pastor;  McAsham 
Methodist  Church,  Rev.  A.  P.  Bradford,  pastor;  Washington 
Avenue  Methodist  Church,  Washington  Avenue  between 
Houston  Avenue  and  Trinity  Street,  Rev.  H.  M.  Timmons, 
pastor;  McKee  Street  Methodist  Church,  corner  Conti  and 
McKee  Streets,  Rev.  H.  M.  Walling,  pastor;  Ebenezer  Meth- 
odist Church,  corner  Harrington  and  Chestnut  Streets,  C.  H. 
Beneke,  pastor;  Bering  Memorial  Church,  corner  Milam  Street 
and  McKinney  Avenue,  Rev.  E.  A.  Konken,  pastor. 

There  are  many  colored  Methodists  in  Houston  and  the 
negroes  have  several  substantial  churches,  with  large  congre- 
gations. 

The  Methodists  are  the  strongest  in  number  and  influence 
of  the  Evangelical  churches  in  Houston  and  have  exerted  from 
the  earliest  days  a  wide  influence  for  good. 

Of  all  the  early  Houston  churches  the  Presbyterians  had 
the  easiest  time  establishing  themselves.  They  did  not  have 
to  worry  about  a  building  site  and  then  about  a  building 
to  put  on  it.  They  had  all  these  at  the  very  beginning,  for 
the  city  founders,  the  Aliens,  being  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  themselves,  set  aside  two  or  three  lots  on  Main  Street 
and  Capitol  Avenue,  for  church  purposes  and  gave  it  to  the 
Presbyterians,  stipulating  only  that  all  denominations  should 
have  the  use  of  the  small  building,  they  placed  on  it,  until 
they  could  secure  churches  or  meeting  places  of  their  own. 
This  was  faithfully  carried  out,  and  for  several  years  Baptist, 


Chunch  History  15'3 

Methodist,  and  other  denominations  made  as  free  use  of  the 
building  as  did  the  Presbyterians  themselves.  In  the  early 
part  of  1843,  several  members  of  the  church  began  an  active 
canvass  for  funds  with  which  to  erect  a  suitable  church  build- 
ing. They  were  successful  and  a  large  building  was  erected 
near  the  northwest  corner  of  Capitol  Avenue  and  Main  Street, 
facing  Main  Street.  The  building  was  completed  in  1842,  and 
services  were  held  in  it  regularly.  This  structure  had  a  church 
bell,  the  first  one  ever  rung  in  Houston.  In  its  issue  of 
February  llth,  1843,  the  Morning  Star,  said : 

"We  are  requested  to  mention  that  the  bell  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  will  be  rung  regularly  on  Sunday  mornings 
at  9  o'clock  for  Sunday  School  and  again  half  an  hour  before 
meeting,  and  will  be  tolled  ten  minutes  before  service  begins." 

Many  of  the  leading  and.  most  influential  citizens  of 
Houston  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  among 
them  being  Mr.  M.  D.  Conklin,  Mr.  A.  S.  Burke,  Mr.  T.  M. 
Bagby,  Mr.  Horace  Taylor,  Mr.  E.  H.  Gushing,  Mr.  Geo.  W. 
Kidd,  Sr.,  Mr.  Lillie,  and  Dr.  Cowling,  all  men  of  the  highest 
standing.  All  these  were  not  Houstonians  at  the  very  earliest 
stages  of  the  city's  beginning,  but  all  were  so  early  on  the  scene 
that  it  is  not  unjust  to  class  them  all  together.  At  whatever 
stage  they  enlisted  they  did  such  valiant  work  in  the  cause 
of  religion  in  Houston  that  no  discrimination  should  be  made 
in  awarding  credit  for  what  has  been  accomplished.  They 
have  all,  long  ago  passed  to  their  rewards  from  a  higher  than 
earthly  court. 

The  large  wooden  edifice  stood  for  many  years  on  its 
original  site,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  one  September  night 
in  1859.  The  fire  started  in  Baker  and  Thompson's  saw-mill, 
which  stood  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Texas  Avenue  and 
Main  Street.  The  fire  consumed  all  the  buildings  facing  Main 
Street,  on  both  sides,  of  the  street  between  Texas  Avenue  and 
Capitol  Avenue. 

The  years  1858  and  1859,  were  sorrowful  ones  for  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  Houston.  In  September,  1858,  one 'of 
their  most  beloved  and  universally  popular  pastors,  Rev.  Mr. 


L54  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Ruthvan,  was  lost  at  sea.  He  took  passage  from  Galveston 
for  New  Orleans  on  the  ill-fated  steamer  Nautilus,  which 
went  down  during  a  great  hurricane  which  swept  over  the 
gulf.  Only  one  person,  a  negro,  who  clung  to  some  wreckage, 
was  saved,  of  all  the  passengers  and  crew.  By  a  singular 
coincidence,  another  pastor  of  that  church  was  lost  at  sea, 
eight  years  later.  This  was  Rev.  Dr.  Castelton,  who  with  his 
wife,  sailed  out  of  Galveston  harbor  on  a  sailing  vessel  in 
1866.  Not  a  trace  of  the  vessel  nor  of  any  of  her  passengers 
or  crew  has  ever  been  found. 

The  wooden  church  which  had  been  burned,  was  replaced 
by  a  brick  building,  which  was  placed  further  back  on  the 
property,  facing  Capitol  Avenue.  Services  were  held  in  this 
house  for  many  years,  until,  in  1879,  it  began  to  crack  and 
was  comdemned  as  unsafe.  The  building  was  practically  torn 
down  and  made  safe.  While  this  was  being  done  services 
were  held  in  Pillott's  Opera  House.  In  May,  1880,  the  congre- 
gation moved  back  to  their  own  church  and  the  first  sermon 
was  preached  by  Rev.  Dr.  E.  D.  Junkin,  who  had  just  accepted 
a  call  to  the  church.  Dr.  Junkin  was  a  very  able  man  and 
a  profound  scholar,  but  above  even  these  he  had  qualities  of 
heart  that  soon  endeared  him,  not  only  to  his  own  congre- 
gation, but  to  the  citizens  of  Houston  at  large,  so  that  his 
influence  for  good  was  very  great.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
George  Junkin,  the  founder  of  Lafayette  College  at  Easton, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  at  Miller,  Pennsylvania,  February 
3,  1829.  He  was  graduated  from  Lafayette  College  and 
received  his  D.  D.  degree  from  Washington  and  Jefferson 
College.  In  1854,  he  was  graduated  from  Princeton  College, 
and  in  1855,  was  licensed  to  preach.  After  pastoral  service 
in  North  Carolina  and  Virginia  he  came  to  Houston  and 
remained  in  charge  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  until 
his  death  which  occurred  at  Johnson  City,  Tenn.,  on  July 
31,  1891,  while  on  his  way  to  Virginia  to  visit  old  friends. 

Dr.  Junkin 's  successor  was  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  Hayne  Leavell, 
who  was  also  a  great  scholar  and  pulpit  orator.  The  church 
was  fortunate  in  getting  such  a  man  as  he  to  follow  Dr. 


Church  History  155 

Junkin.  Under  his  administration  some  of  the  best  work 
of  the  church  was  done.  He  remained  with  the  church  until 
February,  1906,  when  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Dr.  William  States  Jacobs,  the  present  pastor,  who  took  charge 
and  preached  his  first  sermon  March  4,  1906. 

Dr.  Jacobs  is  easily  one  of  the  most  popular  men  and 
preachers  Houston  has  ever  known.  He  always  commands 
large  congregations  and  has  taken  a  virile  part  in  the  city's 
vital  and  material  development.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
the  real  estate  men  and  the  music  lovers  of  Houston  have 
found  a  great  helper  in  Dr.  Jacobs  and  he  has  brought  many 
high  grade  lyceum  entertainments  to  Houston  as  well  as  the 
Russian  Symphony  Orchestra.  Dr.  Jacobs,  is  the  author  of 
the  great  descriptive  phrase  that  is  Houston's  motto  "Where 
17  railroads  meet  the  sea."  He  holds  many  scholarly  degrees 
and  is  a  popular  platform  orator. 

At  a  congregational  meeting,  October  30,  1893,  it  was 
resolved  that  "the  building  committee  be,  and  they  are  hereby, 
authorized  to  negotiate  the  sale,  and  the  trustees  to  execute 
the  necessary  papers,  for  the  transfer  of  the  property  now 
owned  by  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Houston,  on  the 
corner  of  Main  Street  and  Capitol  Avenue ;  provided  that  there 
can  be  realized  a  sufficient  amount  to  secure  the  half  block  on 
Main  Street  and  McKinney  Avenue,  known  as  the  House 
property,  and,  in  addition,  not  less  than  $20,000  in  cash." 

The  building  committee  was  thus  constituted:  Rev.  Dr. 
W.  M.  Hayne  Leavell,  pastor;  R.  F.  George,  representing  the 
board  of  elders ;  0.  C.  Drew,  representing  the  board  of  deacons ; 
Dr.  D.  F.  Steuart,  representing  the  members  of  the  church; 
and  Charles  Dillingham,  representing  those  members  of  the 
congregation  not  members  of  the  church. 

The  church  property  brought  $45,000  and  the  committee 
paid  $22,500,  and  the  cost  of  paving  for  the  other  property, 
bringing  the  cost  to  between  $24,000  and  $25,000. 

Work  on  the  new  church  was  begun  at  once,  and  when 
completed  it  was  pronpunced  by  competent  judges,  to  be  very 
nearly  architecturally  perfect.  Its  exterior  is  strikingly  beauti- 


156  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

ful  and  its  interior  finish  is  fully  in  keeping  with  the  exterior. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  in  Houston  long  ago  outgrew 
the  capacity  of  the  mother  church  and  also  that  of  its  strongest 
off-shoots,  and  now  there  are  nearly  a  dozen  Presbyterian 
congregations  in  and  near  the  city,  all  flourishing  and  pros- 
pering. The  following  of  these  all  have  their  own  houses  of 
worship : 

Woodland  Heights  Presbyterian  Church,  Beauchamp 
Avenue  and  Hooker  Street,  Rev.  George  W.  Martin,  pastor; 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Houston  Heights,  corner  of 
Rutland  and  Eighteenth  Street,  Rev.  R.  D.  Wear,  pastor;  Oak 
Lawn  Presbyterian  Church,  corner  of  Stiles  and  Sherman 
Streets,  Rev.  A.  N.  Wylie,  pastor;  Hardy  Street  Presbyterian 
Church,  Rev.  Granville  T.  Story,  pastor;  Second  Presbyterian 
Church,  Main  Street  and  Denis  Avenue,  Rev.  Frank  E.  Fincher, 
pastor.  This  is  one  of  the  handsomest  churches  in  the  city. 
Third  Presbyterian  Church,  corner  of  Bingham  and  Johnson 
Streets,  Rev.  J.  M.  Gaul,  pastor ;  Central  Presbyterian  Church, 
corner  of  Fannin  Street  and  Pease  Avenue,  Rev.  A.  B. 
Buchanan,  pastor;  Westminster  Presbyterian  Church,  Wash- 
ington and  Boulevard,  Rev.  E.  Sinclair  Smith,  pastor-.  The 
new  edifice  of  this  congregation  is  very  modern,  and  Dr.  Smith, 
one  of  the  most  highly  honored  of  the  city's  pastors. 

The  chapels  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  are  Park 
Street  Chapel,  Market  Street  Chapel,  Hutchins  Street  Chapel,. 
Hyde  Park  Chapel,  and  Blodgett  Mission  Sunday  School.  Rev. 
Stanley  White  is  superintendent  in  charge  of  missions. 

On  March  16,  1839,  while  the  city  of  Houston  was  still 
in  its  swaddling  clothes,  39  earnest  churchmen  met  and 
organized  "the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  Houston, 
Republic  of  Texas."  Isolated  from  the  older  parts  of  the 
country,  with  no  means  of  communication,  save  by  water  or 
by  ox  or  horse-drawn  vehicles,  over  almost  impassable  roads, 
this  handful  of  earnest  Christians  laid  the  foundation  for  a 
church  which  was  destined  to  become  the  first  in  wealth, 
influence  and  power  of  its  denomination  in  Texas.  At  the 
beginning  they  had  only  such  services  as  itinerant  ministers 


Chunch  History  157 

and  missionaries  could  give  them.  Bishop  George  W.  Free- 
man, Missionary  Bishop  of  Louisiana  took  great  interest  in 
the  struggling  church,  and  in  all  ways  in  his  power  contributed 
to  its  advancement. 

The  church  adopted  a  constitution  and  took  the  name 
of -Christ  Church,  May  12,  1845.  Measures  were  taken  to  build 
a  chapel  to  cost  $2,500.  Its  corner-stone  was  laid  in  1846, 
and  it  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Freeman,  May  9,  1847. 
Houston  was  then  a  most  uninviting  field  for  clergymen  and 
for  some  years  there  was  no  regular  minister  in  charge. 
However,  the  membership  increased  so  rapidly  that  before 
the  first  ten  years  had  elapsed  a  large  house  of  worship  was 
demanded.  The  corner-stone  of  a  new  building  was  laid  in 
1859,  and  within  two  years  the  building  was  completed  at  a 
cost  of  $16,000.  This  building  was  used  for  years,  but  in  1876, 
a  third  church  was  erected,  and  in  1893,  the  corner-stone  of 
the  present  beautiful  building  was  laid. 

Of  the  fifteen  rectors  of  Christ  Church  before  1892,  few 
remained  longer  than  two  or  three  years,  while  others  remained 
but  a  short  time.  In  1892,  Rev.  Henry  V.  Aves,  then  in 
charge  of  St.  John's  Church  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  had 
served  seven  years,  accepted  a  call  here.  He  was  confronted 
with  a  church  debt  of  $30,000,  and  found  only  one  society 
for  work  connected  with  the  church,  that  of  the  Ladies' 
Parish  Association.  In  less  than  ten  years  the  debt  had  been 
wiped  out  and  several  helping  societies  had  been  organized 
and  were  working  effectually.  The  Sheltering  Arms,  a  home 
for  indigent  women;  the  Woman's  Auxiliary,  a  power  in  the 
missionary  field;  a  sewing  school;  the  Girls'  Friendly  Society, 
the  Altar  Society,  the  Choir  Chapter,  the  Young  Women's 
Guild,  Christ  Church  Grammar  School-  and  several  working 
bodies  connected  with  the  three  mission  chapels,  were  all 
the  results  of  Rev.  Dr.  Aves'  personal  efforts.  The  building 
used  for  the  Sheltering  Arms  had  been  erected  and  paid  for 
and  an  infirmary  and  operating  room  were  projected,  before 
his  first  ten  years  expired. 

Rev.  Dr.  Aves  received  most  valuable  support  and  assis- 


158  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

tance  in  all  he  did  from  R.  M.  Elgin,  father  of  the  Vestry, 
who  had  grown  gray  in  the  service  of  the  church  before  the 
arrival  of  Dr.  Aves,  and  also  from  A.  S.  Richardson,  W.  D. 
Cleveland,  W.  V.  R.  Watson,  Presley  K.  Ewing,  William  M. 
Mitchell  and  Sam  Mcllhenny. 

Christ  Church  building  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  most 
imposing  churches  in  Houston.  A  rectory  which  cost  $10,000, 
was  erected  in  1902,  and  a  parish  school  was  opened  the 
same  year  as  a  memorial  to  Judge  Peter  Gray  and  his  wife. 

When  Dr.  Aves  was  elected  Bishop  of  Mexico,  and  decided 
to  accept  the  position,  he  communicated  his  decision  to  the 
rectory  of  Christ  Church.  The  regret  of  that  body  is  embodied 
in  a  letter  and  accompanying  resolutions  from  which  the 
following  is  a  quotation : 

"We  admire,  love  and  esteem  you,  and  some  of  us 
lean  on  you  as  the  strong  staff  of  our  religious  life.  Your 
beautiful  Christian  character  has  been,  through  these  many 
years,  a  beacon  for  us  in  God's  watch-tower.  You  have 
never,  during  this  long  time,  preached  a  sermon,  though  some 
have  necessarily  been  better  than  others,  that  would  not  have 
honored  any. pulpit;  not  one  that  would  not  have  been  a  means 
of  grace  to  any  Christian.  You  have  here,  at  the  baptismal 
fount,  tenderly  held  our  little  ones  and  signed  them  with  the 
sign  of  the  cross.  You  have  here,  at  the  marriage  altar, 
pronounced  the  words  of  holy  wedlock  and  blessed  with  your 
benediction  the  plighted  troth.  You  have  here,  at  the  open 
grave  and  in  the  hidden  sanctuaries  of  sorrow,  ministered 
comfort  with  a  heart  as  boundless  as  human  love  and  as  tender. 
It  is  hard,  recalling  your  ministry,  to  give  you  up.  We  feel 
that  in  your  departure  'a  beacon  light  will  be  blown  out  above 
us,  a  buoy  bell  stilled  upon  the  sea.'  We  feel  that  taking  you 
all  in  all,  we  shall  long  wait  to  look  upon  your  like  again. 
But  we  cannot,  will,  not  speak  to  you  words  of  parting.  Adieu 
— to  God — there  safe  we  leave  you.  Our  trembling  lips  do 
speak,  but  ah,  how  faintly  do  they  shadow  forth  the  tremor 
of  our  hearts.  Precious  memories  of  your  past,  prayerful  hope 
for  your  future — let  this  be  our  sentiment. 


Chunch  History  159 

Faithfully  and  Affectionately,  Your  Rectory:  Robert  M. 
Elgin,  Senior  Warden ;  W.  D.  Cleveland,  Junior  Warden ;  Wm. 
V.  Watson ;  Presley  K.  Ewing ;  Sam  McNeil ;  M.  H.  Westcott ; 
R.  T.  Morris;  Frank  Cargill;  Joseph  Towlis." 

After  the  departure  of  Rev.  Henry  Aves,  who  is  still 
Bishop  of  Mexico,  Rev.  Dr.  Peter  Gray  Sears  was  called  to  the 
pastorate  of  Christ  Church,  and  has  proven  himself  a  worthy 
successor.  Dr.  Sears  is  one  of  the  most  profound  scholars 
and  pulpit  orators  in  the  South,  and,  like  Bishop  Aves,  he  is 
a  tireless  worker.  He  has  not  only  continued  the  work,  but 
has  added  to  the  usefulness  of  Christ  Church  in  the  moral 
upbuilding  of  the  city  and  community. 

In  addition  to  the  mother  church,  there  are  the  following 
Episcopal  churches  and  chapels  in  Houston  today:  Trinity 
Church,  corner  Main  Street  and  Holman  Avenue,  Rev.  Robert 
Lee  Craig,  rector;  St.  John's  Church,  corner  Leeland  Avenue 
and  Velasco  Street,  0.  M.  Longnecker,  superintendent;  St. 
Mary's  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  G.  W.  R.  Cadman,  rector; 
Clemens  Memorial  Church,  corner  Bingham  and  Sabine  Streets, 
Rev.  T.  J.  Windham,  minister  in  charge;  St.  Andrew's  Mission, 
230  West  Seventeenth  Street,  Houston  Heights,  Rev.  Mr. 
Cadman,  minister  in  charge. 

The  first  German  Lutheran  Church  erected  in  Houston  was 
quite  an  imposing  wooden  structure  that  for  years  stood  OB 
the  southwest  corner  of  the  block  of  which  The  Daily  Post 
now  stands.  The  church  owned  a  quarter  of  the  block,  but 
utilized  only  the  corner  on  Texas  Avenue  and  Milam  Street. 
Rev.  Mr.  Braun  was  the  first  and  only  pastor  of  the  church 
while  it  occupied  that  location.  In  connection  with  the  church 
was  a  school  patronized  by  the  German  citizens  of  Houston 
and  by  many  of  the  Americans  who  desired  to  have  their 
children  taught  the  German  language,  hence  it  was  generally 
crowded  to  its  full  capacity.  There  were  a  number  of 
Lutherans  in  Houston,  and  as  the  city  grew  the  needs  of  their 
church  grew  also,  and  soon  it  became  necessary  to  build  other 
houses  of  worship.  The  first  of  these  was  one  on  Louisiana 
Street  between  Preston  and  Prairie  Avenues.  But  the  demands 


160.  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  commerce  seem  to  have  been  greater  than  those  of  the 
church,  and  both  the  Texas  Avenue  and  the  Louisiana  Street 
properties  were  sold  and  the  churches  moved  elsewhere.  At 
present  the  Lutherans  have  two  large  and  flourishing  churches, 
one  on  Caroline  and  Texas  Avenue  and  the  other  on  Washing- 
ton Avenue  and  Young  Street.  In  both  churches  the  sermons 
are  in  the  German  language,  but  both  English  and  German 
are  used  in  their  Sunday  Schools. 

The  Christians  in  the  past  fifteen  years  have  come  to 
prominence  and  the  Central  Christian  Church,  on  the  corner  of 
Main  Street  and  Bell  Avenue  is  one  of  the  handsomest  of 
Houston's  many  handsome  churches.  It  was  completed  in  1907. 
The  Second  Christian  Church  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Hogan 
and  Common  Streets. 

In  the  last  ten  years,  the  Christian  Scientists  have  made 
great  gains  in  Houston.  There  are  now  two  churches  of  this 
faith  and  the  first  church  of  the  city  is  erecting  a  beautiful 
classic  church  building  with  a  Greek  front,  on  Main  Street. 

All  church  statistics  are  difficult  to  get,  but  the  many 
beautiful  buildings  erected  by  the  various  denominations 
within  the  past  decade  is  evidence  of  their  flourishing  condi- 
tion. 

The  first  Catholic  church  in  Houston  was  built  on  three 
lots  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  block  on  Franklin  Avenue 
and  Caroline  Street.  There  was  a  large  gully  running  up 
Caroline  Street  and  the  little  church  was  built  on  the  very 
edge  of  this.  Behind  the  church,  and  running  east  and  west, 
was  a  long,  single-story  building  used  as  a  home  for  the  priest 
and  also  as  a  parish  school.  Both  the  church  and  the  .school 
house  were  wooden  structures.  Father  Querat  had  charge 
of  both  the  church  and  school  for  many  years,  and 'was  one 
of  .the  best  known  and  universally  respected  men  in  the  city. 
He  was  a  Frenchman,  as  his  name  implies,  and  was  an  accom- 
plished scholar,  and  was  almost  as  popular  with  the  Prot- 
estants as  he  was  with  the  members  of  his  own  faith.  For 
about  a  quarter  of  a  century  that  little  church  was  the  only 
place  of  worship  the  Catholics  had  in  Houston.  In  1868  or 


C hunch  History  161 

1869,  the  church  sold  the  old  church  property  and  purchased 
the  block  on  Texas  Avenue  and  Crawford  Street,  and  in  1870, 
began  the  erection  of  a  large  brick  building  on  it.  This  build- 
ing, the  Church  of  the  Annunciation,  was  completed  in  1871, 
and  remains  today  one  of  the  handsomest  church  edifices 
in  the  city.  It  occupies  about  one  quarter  of  the  block,  the 
remainder  being  occupied  by  a  handsome  home  for  the  priests 
and  a  large  and  commodious  school,  all  constructed  of  brick, 
and  of  attractive  architectural  design.  Father  Hennessy  has 
had  pastoral  charge  of  this  church  for  over  thirty  years,  and, 
is  looked  up  to  with  love  and  veneration  by  the  members  of 
his  congregation,  and  by  all  Iloustonians  who  know  the  sterling 
and  lovable  qualities  of  the  man. 

The  growth  of  the  church  exceeded  that  of  the  city  and 
became  necessary  early  in  the  eighties  to  build  other  edifices. 
One  was  built  on  Washington  Avenue,  another  in  the  Fifth 
ward  and  others  steadily  followed,  until  Houston  has  a 
number  of  Catholic  Churches,  a  number  of  them  handsome 
and  imposing  buildings. 

In  addition  to  what  may  be  called  the  parent  church,  The 
Annunciation,  the  following  are  prominent :  St.  Joseph 's 
Church,  Father  Banfield,  pastor;  Church  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  on  Sherman  Avenue,  Brady  addition;  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  Father  Haughran,  pastor ;  and  Sacred  'Heart  Church, 
on  Pierce  Avenue  and  San  Jacinto  Street.  The  parishes  are 
large  and  growing  so  rapidly  that  constant  additions  to  the 
number  of  churches  and  chapels  have  to  be  made. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Houston  has  among  its 
institutions,  seven  churches,  four  of  them  fine  structures  that 
would  be  ornaments  to  a  city  twice  the  size  of  Houston,  a 
fine  infirmary  and  several  first-class  schools.  The  infirmary 
and  the  schools  are  not  under  the  church  control  except 
spiritual  and  are  managed  by  the  sisters  of 'religious  orders 
who  have  devoted  their  lives  to  that  work.  They  have  absolute 
control  of  all  temporal  matters,  The  hospital  is  the  St. 
Joseph's  Infirmary,  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  patronized 
institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  state.  St.  Agnes'  Academy  is 


162  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

one  of  the  schools  and  it  is  one  of  the  leading  educational 
institutions  of  the  city.  Its  patronage  is  large,  and  though 
only  five  years  old  it  is  already  placed  in  the  front  ranks 
of  denominational  institutions  of  learning  in  Texas. 

The  picturesque  school  building,  located  in  the  south  end 
on  Fannin  Street,  combines  beauty  and  comfort  in  its  ample 
accommodations. 

There  are,  in  round  numbers,  10,000  communicants  of 
the  Catholic  church  in  Houston,  and  the  property  of  the 
church  is  valued  at  very  nearly  half  a  million  dollars. 

Houston  will  soon  be  known  as  the  city  of  churches  for 
every  creed  and  variation  of  a  creed  seems  to  have  its 
representatives  here.  In  addition  to  the  leading  denominations 
enumerated  in  the  foregoing  pages  there  are  the  following 
named  churches  and  religious  associations  in  Houston : 

Clark  Street  Mission,  Apostolic  Faith ;  Brunner  Tabernacle, 
Apostolic  Faith;  Houston  Heights  Assembly,  Apostolic  Faith; 
International  Bible  Students  Association;  Congregational 
Church,  corner  Caroline  Street  and  McKinney  Avenue; 
Unitarian  Church,  Carnegie  Library;  Theosophical  Society, 
Odd  Fellows  Hall ;  Oriental  Textile  Chapel,  corner  of  Twenty- 
fourth  and  Lawrence  Streets,  Houston  Heights;  Balfour 
Mission,  210  San  Jacinto  Street ;  and  the  Star  of  Hope  Mission, 
714  Franklin  Avenue,  which  holds  services  every  night  in 
the  year. 

In  the  very  early  days  the  leading  representative  of  the 
Hebrews  in  Houston,  was  the  venerable  Rabbi  Levy.  No  man 
stood  higher  in  this  community  than  he  and  none  enjoyed 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  classes  of  citizens  more  than 
he.  He  was  known  among  the  people  as  "Father"  Levy  and  his 
whole  life  was  such  as  to  warrant  this  love  and  confidence. 
He  was  an  old  man,  had  a  long  white  beard  and  was  the  living 
picture  of  an  old  Patriarch.  For  many  years  he  administered 
to  the  spiritual  needs  of  his  people  and  when  he  passed  away, 
in  the  late  fifties,  he  was  mourned  by  the  whole  community. 

During  the  war  the  Hebrew  congregation  in  Houston 
preserved  its  organization. 


Chunch  History  163 

That  the  congregation  was  kept  in  existence  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  in  April,  1860,  there  came  to  Houston  a  family 
that  has  played  a  prominent  part  in  its  history.  Its  head 
was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Raphael,  and  the  voyage  from  England 
took  10  weeks  and  was  made  in  a  full  rigged  ship,  ''The 
National  Guard,"  Captain  Gates,  embarking  at  Liverpool  and 
landing  at  Galveston.  The  ship  was;  a  merchantman  and  not 
a  passenger  vessel,  and  the  Raphael  family  which  included  the 
Rabbi,  his  wife,  Hannah,  and  six  children,  Joseph,  Rebecca, 
Emanuel,  Moses,  Sarah  and  Julia,  were  the  only  passengers. 
Three  members  of  this  family  still  survive,  E.  Raphael,  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Nussbaum  and  Miss  Julia  Raphael. 

Rabbi  Raphael,  took  charge  of  the  Congregation  Beth 
Israel  whose  membership  was  only  fifteen  or  twenty.  Among 
them  were  Sam  Meyer,  Sol.  Hohenthal,  Isaac  Elsasser,  Joe 
Rosenfield,  G.  Gerson,  Henry  S.  Fox,  Sr.,  and  Isaac  Colman. 
Only  one  member  of  the  original  congregation  still  survives, 
Henry  S.  Fox,  Sr.,  president  of  the  Houston  National  Exchange 
Bank. 

Rabbi  Raphael  labored  faithfully,  and  it  was  mainly 
through  his  efforts  that  the  Congregation  Beth  Israel  was 
held  together,  and  in  the  end  converted  into  a  virile  force.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  scholarship,  an  eloquent  speaker  and 
possessed  of  much  personal  magnetism. 

Owing  to  the  troubled  and  disquieting  days  following  the 
close  of  the  war,  nothing  was  done  towards  erecting  a  suit- 
able house  of  worship  by  the  members  of  Congregation  Beth 
Israel,  until  about  1-869.  That  year,  however,  Benjamin  and 
Mose  Raphael,  sons  of  the  Rabbi,  I.  Elsassor,  A.  Harris,  A. 
S.  Fox,  J.  Harris,  M.  E.  Stern  and  some  others,  went  quietly 
to  work,  raised  sufficient  funds,  purchased  a  building  site 
on  Franklin  Avenue,  and  announced  that  they  would  erect 
a  suitable  temple.  On  June  11,  1870,  the  Telegraph 
announced  that  everything  was  in  readiness  and  that  the 
corner-stone  would  be  laid  in  a  few  days  by  Rev.  Henry 
S.  Jacobs,  chief  Rabbi  of  the  New  Orleans  Portugese  Syna- 
gogue. About  4  o'clock,  Thursday,  June  16,  a  procession  of 


164  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

fully  1,000  persons,  consisting  of  Civil  and  Jewish  organiza- 
tions, formed  on  Main  Street,  near  the  Masonic  Temple,  and 
led  by  Schmidt's  Band,  marched  to  the  site  of  the  synagogue. 
The  corner-stone,  a  large  block  of  marble,  was  swinging  on 
a  tripod.  A  Divine  blessing  was  asked  by  Rabbi  Jacobs, 
after  which  he  informed  the  Grand  Master  of  one  of 
Houston's  Masonic -organizations,  the  he  was  deputed  by  the 
Congregation  Beth  Israel  to  request  that  the  corner-stone  of, 
its  temple  of  worship  should  be  laid  with  Masonic  honors. 
The  stone,  set  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  foundation, 
was  made  the  receptacle  of  the  following  articles:  A  record 
of  the  corner-stone  itself;  some  coins  of  different  countries 
of  different  denominations ;  some  currency  of  different  values 
and  countries ;  a  roll  of  members  of  the  congregation  of  Beth 
Israel ;  a  scroll  of  the  Hebrew  law ;  copies  of  the  local  news- 
papers; a  photograph  and  souvenir  of  Gerson  Kursheedt,  a 
member  of  the  congregation  who  had  gone  from  Texas  on  a 
mission  to  Palestine  and  had  died  there. 

This  Hebrew  congregation  in  1908,  completed  a  handsome 
new  temple  building  that  is  one  of  the  most  modern  church 
structures  in  Houston.  It  was  dedicated  with  elaborate 
ceremonies.  Dr.  Henry  Barnstein  is  Rabbi  and  has  won  fame 
in  musical  as  well  as  religious  circles.  The  new  temple  Beth 
Israel  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Crawford  and  Lamar  Street. 

The  Congregation  Adath  Geshurun  worships  in  a  hand- 
some synagogue  located  at  the  corner  of  Jackson  Street  and 
Walker  Avenue. 

The  first  public  meeting,  in  the  interest  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  in  Houston  was  held  one  Sunday 
afternoon,  April,  1886,  in  Pillott's  Opera  House.  There  was 
a  large  attendance  of  members  of  all  the  various  denominations 
in  Houston,  thus  giving  evidence  that  the  people  of  Houston 
were  willing  and  ready  to  support  such  an  institution.  Many 
pledges  of  support  and  membership  were  promptly  given  in 
response  to  an  invitation. 

The  following  named  gentlemen  were  chosen  as  a  board 
of  directors:  Col.  Charles  Stewart,  Capt.  W.  D.  Cleveland, 


Church  History  165 

E.  L.  Dennis ,  John  Kay ,  J.  F.  Bumble ,  Conrad  Bering ,  Ed. 
Smallwood,  W.  V.  R.  Watson,  C.  W.  Alsworth,  Dr.  J.  M. 
Arnold,  Rufus  Cage,  Y.  M.  Langdon. 

The  sum  of  $2,000,  was  raised  easily  within  a  few  days, 
and  a  permanent  organization  was  effected  and  rooms  were 
secured  in  the  BroAvn  Building,  corner  of  Main  Street  and 
Texas  Avenue,  which  were  opened  to  the  public  on  May  13, 
1886.  There  was  a  reading  room  and  a  gymnasium,  the  latter 
under  the  direction  of  Captain  E.  B.  H.  Schnider.  It  was 
also  announced  that  the  parlor  and  lecture  room  would  soon 
be  ready  for  occupancy  and  that  members'  tickets  were  being 
prepared  by  the  treasurer,  Mr.  J.  F.  Dumble. 

The  following  named  representative  men  were  chosen  as 
officers  to  serve  for  the  first  two  years :  "William  D.  Cleveland, 
president ;  Y.  M.  Langdon,  vice-president ;  James  F.  Dumble, 
treasurer ;  Rufus  Cage,  recording  secretary ;  J.  W.  Goodhue, 
general  secretary. 

The  following  were  chosen  as  a  board  of  Directors: 
Charles  Stewart ,  Dr.  James  M.  Arnold ,  Conrad  Bering , 
William  Christian,  W.  V.  R.  Watson,  E.  L.  Dennis,  John 
Kay,  C.  W.  Alsworth,  Ed  Smallwood. 

It  was  made  the  duty  of  the  General  Secretary,  under 
the  direction  of  the  board,  to  plan  and  carry  out  the  objects 
of  the  association. 

The  association  occupied  very  'humble  and  very  inadequate 
quarters  for  about  twenty  years,  but  in  the  latter  part  of 
1906,  the  needs  of  the  association  for  larger  and  more  con- 
venient quarters  became  so  apparent,  that  an  organized 
movement  was  inaugurated  to  raise  $200,000,  with  which  to 
build  the  association  a  home  of  its  own.  The  movement  met 
with  popular  favor  at  once.  The  city  was  aroused  and 
subscriptions  poured  in  from  citizens  of  every  class  until 
the  full  amount  was  in  hand.  A  site  was  purchased  at  the 
corner  of  Fannin  Street  and  McKinney  Avenue,  and  the 
following  building  committee  was  appointed :  W.  A.  Wilson, 
chairman;  S.  F.  Carter,  treasurer;  E.  W.  Taylor,  secretary; 


166  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Capt.  James  A.  Baker,  Jr.,  W.  D.  Cleveland,  Sr.,  J.  V.  Dealy, 
and  J.  B.  Bowles. 

Work  was  begun  at  once,  and  on  October  17,  1907,  the 
corner-stone  of  the  edifice  was  laid  with  impressive  ceremony. 
Secretary  Scott,  acting  for  the  directors,,  arranged  a  pro- 
gramme for  the  event. 

First  there  was  held  a  meeting  at  the  old  hall,  after 
which  a  procession  was  formed  and  the  march  taken  up  to 
the  new  building,  along  Fannin  Street.  The  ceremonies  were 
semi-religious  but  non-sectarian.  The  main  feature  was  the 
laying  of  the.  corner-stone  by  Captain  Richmond  Pearson 
Hobson.  The  members  of  the  building  committee  had  actual 
charge  of  the  exercises.  Mayor  Rice  represented  the  city, 
while  Captain  "W.  D.  Cleveland,  who  was  the  first  president 
of  the  association,  acted  as  chairman. 

On  the  evening  of  June  21,  1908,  the  formal  opening 
exercises  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  took  place 
in  the  gymnasium  of  their  new  building.  There  was  prayer, 
scripture  reading,  music  and  eloquent  addresses.  The  speakers 
were:  Hon.  H.  M.  Garwood  and  Rev.  Peter  Gray  Sears. 

The  building  is  five  stories  high  and  is  beautifully  finished 
throughout.  On  the  first  floor  are  located  the  loby,  or 
reception  room,  a  spacious  reading  room,  the  gymnasium, 
swimming  pool,  hand  ball  court,  bowling  alley,  dressing  rooms, 
each  equipped  with  rockers  and  every  arrangement  for  the 
convenience  and  comfort  of  the  members. 

The  assembly  room,  the  lecture  rooms,  the  study  and  class 
rooms  are  on  the  second  and  part  of  the  third  floors,  while 
the  rest  of  the  building  is  devoted  to  apartments  for  roomers. 
There  are  ninety-one  rooms  in  all.  All  are  of  uniform  size,  and 
neatly  furnished. 


CHAPTER  XI 

Education  and  Free  Schools 


Houston's  Earliest  Schools  were  Private  Enterprises.  Lack  of 
Proper  School  Facilities.  The  Houston  Academy.  Congres- 
sional Appropriations  for  Public  Schools.  Free  Schools 
Flourished  only  after  Civil  War.  Arguments  Against  the 
System.  Houston  First  City  to  Take  Control  of  Her  Schools. 
City  School  Superintendents.  Opening  of  Public  Schools 
in  October,  1877.  Comparative  Growth  from  1877  to  1909. 
Scientific  Features  in  City's  Schools.  Superintendent 
Horn's  Summary  of  Decade  from  1901  to  1911.  Private 
School  Enterprises. 


The  early  Texans,  and  those  of  Houston  particularly,  placed 
the  cause  of  education  far  to  the  fore  while  planning  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  new  republic.  Scarcely  a  public  meeting  was 
held,  where  questions  of  public  policy  were  discussed,  that  the 
cause  of  education  was  not  brought  prominently  forward.  After 
San  Jacinto,  and  while  the  new  Republic  was  largely  in  the  form- 
ative stages,  nothing  very  tangible  nor  practical  in  the  way  of 
concerted  action  by  the  people  could  be  accomplished,  but,  even 
at  that  time,  successful  efforts  were  being  made  to  establish  pri- 
vate schools  in  Houston. 

Unfortunately  there  is  no  record  preserved  of  these  very 
early  pioneers  in  the  cause  of  education.  Only  a  stray  remark 
or  a  chance  allusion,  here  and  there,  go  to  show  that  soon  after 
Texas  independence  had  been  won,  the  school-master  had  taken 
up  the  task  of  preserving  and  perpetuating  it.  The  first  refer- 
ence to  a  school  in  Houston  is  that  of  Mrs.  Dilne  Harris,  who 
says,  in  her  reminiscences:  "The  second  anniversary  of  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto  had  come  and  gone  and  mother  said  she 
hoped  there  would  be  nothing  else  to  distract  us  from  our  studies, 
as  the  school  would  close  in  June.  But  there  was  another  sensa- 


168  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

tion.  One  Monday  morning  in  May,  on  our  arrival  at  the  school 
house,  we  found  the  town  covered  with  bills.  A  theatrical 
company  had  arrived  and  would  give  the  first  performance  Fri- 
day night,  June  11.  This  was  the  first  theatrical  company  to 
come  to  Texas.  It  not  only  ran  the  young  people  wild,  but  old 
people  were. not  much  better." 

Professor  H.  F.  Gillett*  announced  in  the  Morning  Star  in 
1844  that  he  had  opened  his  Houston  Academy,  in  the  building 
of  the  Telegraph,  at  Main  and  Preston  Streets.  Terms  per 
month  for  tuition  in  reading,  writing  and  orthography,  $2,  par 
funds;  arithmetic,  grammar  and  geography,  $3;  Latin,  Greek, 
mathematics,  science  and  the  higher  branches  of  English  educa- 
tion, $4.  He  promised  to  teach  all  branches  necessary  to  enter 
any  college  in  the  United  States. 

The  same  year  Professor  W.  J.  Thurbur  announced  that  he 
had  opened  a  school  in  the  front  room,  second  story,  of  Mr. 
Dibble's  building,  corner  of  Main  and  Franklin  Streets,  where 
he  would  teach  geography,  arithmetic,  English  grammar,  natural 
philosophy,  ortheopy,  orthography,  history  and  composition  and 
that  he  would  open  in  the  same  room  a  night  school  in  which 
English  grammar  would  receive  especial  attention. 

These  two  schools  are  the  only  early  ones  of  which  definite 
information  is  obtainable.  They  were,  as  their  advertisements 
indicate,  private  schools.  Two  years  later,  however,  something 
more  definite  in  the  way  of  public  action  was  taken.  In  pursu- 
ance to  notices  in  the  public  prints,  there  assembled  in  the  Meth- 
odist church  in  Houston,  January  2,  1846,  a  number  of  teachers 
and  friends  of  education.  The  meeting  was  opened  by  prayer, 
by  Rev.  C.  Gillett.  Rev.  C.  Richardson  was  chosen  president  of 
the  convention  and  Peter  W.  Gray,  secretary.  Rev.  C;  Gillett, 
Rev.  C.  Richardson,  Gen.  Hugh  McLeod,  John  H.  Walton,  John 
Sayles  and  James  Bailey  were  constituted  a  committee  to  con- 
sider and  report  to  the  convention,  means  to  further  its  ends  and 
promote  the  cause  of  education. 

A  few  evenings  later  another  meeting  was  held  at  which 
this  committee  made  its  report.  It  favored  the  adoption  of  uni- 
form text-books  by  the  private  and  public  schools  of  Texas ;  a 


Education  and  Free  Schools  169 

memorial  to  be  addressed  to  the  legislature  of  the  state  at  its 
first  session ;  the  establishment  of  a  monthly  journal  to  be  devoted 
to  the  cause  of  education;  the  appointment  of  a  standing  com- 
mittee to  which  persons  desiring  to  make  teaching  their  business 
might  apply  for  positions  and  to  which  committee  communi- 
ties needing  teachers  might  look  for  supplies;  the  appointment 
of  six  committees  to  report  at  the  next  meeting;  measures  for  a 
permanent  organization  and  to  make  suggestions  along  different 
lines  on  subjects  of  interest  to  the  body;  and  the  appointment 
of  suitable  persons  to  deliver  addresses  on  the  subject  of  educa- 
tion at  the  next  meeting.  Many  of  these  ideas  have  been 
since  carried  out  but  little  was  accomplished  at  the  time. 

In  March,  1853,  the  Houston  Academy  was  opened  by  Messrs. 
A.  W.  Boyd  and  H.  Moore,  A.  B.,  who  brought  to  Houston  high 
testimonials  as  to  their  character  and  ability  as  teachers.  They 
announced  that  in  the  academy,  pupils  would  be  ''instructed 
in  all  the  branches  of  science  that  are  taught  in  the  first  acade- 
mies in  the  Union. ' ' 

The  annual  examination  and  exhibition  of  the  Houston  Male 
and  Female  Academy  was  held  about  the  middle  of  September, 
1857,  by  James  Alexander  Bolinger,  principal.  The  Scholastic 
year  for  1858  began  February  1.  Early  in  that  year  Professor 
M.  B.  Franklin  and  Mrs.  Franklin,  from  Kentucky,  became 
associated  with  Professor  Bolinger  in  the  management  of  the 
Academy. 

In  October,  1857,  there  were  ten  schools  in  successful  oper- 
ation in  Houston.  They  were  those  of  Mr.  Bolinger,  Mrs.  Styles, 
Mrs.  Green,  Miss  Maher,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cunningham,  .Rev.  C. 
Braun,  Professor  Ruter  and  sister,  Miss  Kate  Van  Alstyno,  Miss 
K.  Payne  and  Mrs.  H.  X.  Cotton.  Yet  in  spite  of  the  large  num- 
ber of  schools  there  was  not  sufficient  room  for  the  children  of  the 
city.  Most  of  the  schools  were  very  small  affairs,  the  pupils 
being  huddled  together  in  one  small  room.  The  citizens  of  Hous- 
ton long  suffered  for  schools  adequate  to  the  needs  of  the  com- 
munity and  for  this  reason  alone  many  children  were  sent  away 
to  obtain  an  education  that  should  have  been  obtained  at  home. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  disadvantage  was  the  lack  of  suitable 


170  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

quarters  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  different  departments 
of  educational  work.  There  was  no  building  capable  o1'  accom- 
modating not  only  the  primary  schools,  but  advanced  schools  as 

'well — schools  in  which  everything  from  the  rudiments  to  the 
higher  branches  could  be  taught.  Attempts  were  made  from 
time  to  time  to  meet  this  demand.  In  1857  there  were  a  number 
of  good  schools,  all  well  patronized,  but  all  of  them  in  rooms 

•  not  at  all  adapted  to  their  needs.  The  best  of  these  was  in 
Masonic  Hall,  corner  of  Main  and  Capitol  Streets  and  while 
there  were  fewer  than  100  pupils  in  attendance  it  was  crowded. 
All  the  other  rooms  in  Houston,  devoted  to  school  purposes,  would 
accommodate  less  than  200  pupils  and  it  was  estimated  that  there 
were  600  children  of  school  age  in  Houston  at  that  time.  Mr. 

'James  H.  Stevens  had  willed  to  the  city  $5,000  to  be  devoted  to 
the  building  of  an  academy,  whenever  $10,000  should  be  con- 
tributed by  the  citizens  for  that  purpose.  Including  this  amount 
$17,000  was  available  at  the  end  of  1856,  for  the  establishment 
of  such  a  school,  which  sum  it  was  proposed  to  increase  to  $20,- 
000.  Some  time  before  this  the  block  on  which  the  present  High 
School  stands,  had  been  purchased,  and  some  steps  toward  the 
erection  of  a  building  had  been  taken.  It  had  been  planned  that 
the  proposed  building  should  cost  perhaps  $15,000  and  that  the 

.remaining  $5,000  of  the  proposed  fund  should  be  held  available 
for  a  library  and  for  astronomical  apparatus. 

A  meeting  of  prominent  citizens  was  held;  the  necessary 
funds  to  complete  the  amount  needed  were  subscribed  at  once 
and  on  September  17,  1857,  the  corner  stone  of  the  Houston 
Academy  was  laid.  It  was  made  a  big  event  by  the  people  of 
Houston. 

The  Houston  Academy  was  completed  early  in  the  summer 
of  1858.  It  was  a  brick  structure,  64  x  84  feet,  of  composite 
architecture,  with  a  large  open  cupola  with  Ionic  columns,  which 
was  surmounted  by  a  gilded  globe.  Its  height  from  base  to 
cornice  was  45  feet.  The  entire  cost  of  the  building  was  $21,000. 
The  Houston  Academy  was  not  a  public  school,  though  it 
was  under  the  management  of  a  board  of  directors,  consisting  of 
several  leading  citizens  interested  in  the  cause  of  education.  Col. 


Education  and  Free  Schools  171 

Wm.  J.  Hutchins  was  chairman  of  this  board  and  it  was  through 
his  influence  that  Dr.  Asbel  Smith  was  induced  to  act  as  prin- 
cipal of  the  school  when  it  began  its  first  session. 

When  Professor  Partridge  expressed  a  willingness  to  take 
charge  of  the  school,  Doctor  Smith  retired.  Professor  Partridge 
resigned  as  principal  of  the  Academy  about  1859  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Reverend  Doctor  Hutcherson  who  had  been  professor 
of  Latin  and  Greek  at  the  Oxford  University  in  Mississippi. 
Doctor  Hutcherson  remained  in  charge  of  the  Academy  until 
about  1863  or  '64,  when  owing  to  failing  health,  he  resigned,  and 
his  work  was  taken  up  by  Prof.  W.  J.  Hancock,-  a  ripe  scholar 
and  an  experienced  educator.  Professor  Hancock  remained  in 
charge  of  the  school  for  several  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Pro- 
fessor Fitzgerald,  who  had  formerly  occupied  a  chair  in  Baylor 
University,  when  that  institution  was  located  at  Independence, 
Washington  County.  Under  Professor  Fitzgerald's  management 
the  Academy  grew  in  popular  favor  and  the  attendance  became 
very  large.  However  the  Academy  was  a  pay  institution,  so, 
when,  in  the  early  seventies,  the  first  free-schools  were  opened, 
the  attendance  dropped  off  to  such  an  extent  that  the  Academy, 
after  a  desultory  existence,  was  forced  to  the  wall.  Then  the 
Academy  association  got  in  financial  difficulties  and  the  school 
was  closed  until,  when  the  city  took  charge  of  its  own  schools, 
its  doors  were  thrown  open  and  it  became  the  High  School. 

The  constitution  adopted  by  Mexico,  in  1824,  made  it  the 
imperative  duty  of  the  government  to  educate  the  masses.  When 
Texas  and  Coahuila  became  a  state  of  the  Mexican  Republic,  its 
constitution  declared  that  public  schools  were  necessary  to  the 
life  and  development  of  a  free  people.  Yet,  under  Mexico,  little 
was  actually  done  towards  the  advancement  of  public  education, 
beyond  the  enactment  of  school  laws  and  setting  aside  portions 
of  land  for  the  support  of  schools  that  were  not  established,  and 
when  Texas  declared  her  independence,  one  of  the  most  serious 
of  her  many  grievances  was  that  the  mother  country  had  failed 
to  establish  a  system  of  public  education  for  the  people. 

In  1839,  the  Texas  Congress  set  aside  three  leagues  (13,284 
acres)  of  public  land  as  school  lands,  in  each  county,  the  pro- 


172  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

ceeds  to  be  devoted  to  the  establishment  of  a  permanent  school 
fund.  In  1840,  another  league  for  each  county  was  added  to 
this  appropriation,  but  the  population  was  so  sparse  and  public 
money  so  scarce  that  nothing  practical  was  accomplished.  In 
1845,  when  Texas  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  her  state  constitu- 
tion set  aside  one-tenth  of  the  revenue  derived  from  taxation  for 
a  permanent  school  fund.  In  five  years  Texas  had  349  public 
schools,  360  teachers  and  7,964  pupils.  In  1854  the  state  system 
was  improved  and  the  school  fund  received  a  donation  of  two 
million  dollars  in  United  States  bonds.  The  school  revenue  in 
1860  was  $80,984. 

It  was  not  until  after  the  Civil  War  that  free  schools  became 
active  and  vital  forces.  Being  so  admirably  equipped  and  hav- 
ing such  material  resources  for  the  successful  inauguration  of  a 
permanent  school  system,  it  is  amazing  that  the  state  should  have 
delayed  so  long  in  adopting  a  plan.  The  true  explanation  of  the 
delay  probably  lies  in  the  fact  that  conditions  existing  in  Texas 
before  the  war,  were  such  as  existed  nowhere  else.  While  there 
was  no  aristocracy  in  one  sense  of  the  word,  yet  there  was  an 
aristocracy  in  another  sense.  The  people  were  divided  into  two 
classes,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  just  as  they  are  today,  with  this 
difference,  that  the  rich  were  slave  owners  and  were  either  plant- 
ers, lawyers,  doctors,  or  professional  men,  while  the  poor  were 
small  farmers,  tradesmen,  laborers,  or  men  of  no  calling  what- 
ever. Social  lines  were  not  tightly  drawn,  it  is  true,  still  they 
were  drawn,  with  the  result  that  there  was  no  unity  of  purpose 
or  opinion  on  any  subject  that  involved  such  close  social  inter- 
course as  it  was  thought  the  public  school  would  bring  about. 
The  well-to-do  were  able  and  did  educate  their  own  children, 
and  thought  it  unfair,  having  done  this  duty  to  themselves  and 
state,  that  they  should  be  taxed  further  for  the  education  of  the 
children  of  others.  On  the  other  side,  the  poorer  classes  resented 
the  idea  of  having  their  children  educated  at  a  charitable  insti- 
tution as  they  believed  the  public  school  to  be.  Thus  it  is  seen 
that  there  was  much  work  in  the -way  of  educating  the  people, 
of  both  classes,  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  real  meaning 
and  scope  of  a  public  school,  before  the  wishes  and  intentions 


Education  and  Free  Schools  173 

of  the  founders  of  the  Republic  could  be  put  in  practical  oper- 
ation. 

During  the  continuation  of  the  great  war,  all  public  schools 
were  practically  suspended  and  the  school  fund  was  expended 
for  other  purposes  than  education.  In  1866,  the  office  of  State 
Superintendent  of  Education  was  created  and  a  State  Board  of 
Education,  consisting  of  the  Governor,  the  Comptroller  and  the 
State  Superintendent  of  Education  was  established.  Those  were 
"reconstruction  days"  however.  The  Governor  and  other  State 
officials  were  outsiders  who  had  been  appointed  to  their  offices 
by  the  United  States  Government,  and  were  considered  inter- 
lopers. They  were  all  what  was  known  as  ' '  Black  Republicans ' ' 
and  necessarily  had  but  little  influence  with  the  great  mass  of 
Texans,  who  regarded  their  every  act  with  suspicion  and  dis- 
trust. Under  conditions  such  as  these  it  is  not  surprising  that 
very  little  was  accomplished  in  the  way  of  establishing  schools 
on  a  safe  and  proper  basis  until  nearly  a  decade  later. 

The  constitution  of  the  state  required  that  the  public  schools 
should  be  open  for  six  months  each  year.  As  this  was  impossible 
with  no  other  funds  than  that  derived  from  the  school  fund,  pro- 
vision was  made  for  levying  a  special  school  tax  in  each  school 
district.  Such  school  districts  were  given  authority,  in  addition 
to  levying  the  special  school  tax,  to  build  school  houses,  employ 
competent  instructors  and  to  put  the  schools  under  professional 
superintendents  who  were  held  responsible  for  their  good  conduct 
and  advancement.  In  1876  only  two  districts  in  the  state  had  taken 
advantage  of  this  law  and  assumed  control  of  their  schools,  but 
in  1906  their  were  389  independent  districts  and  2217  common 
school  districts  levying  local  taxes.  These  results  were  obtained 
largely  through  assistance  given  by  the  Peabody  fund,  by  the 
aid  of  which  also  the  Sam  Houston  State  Normal  School  was 
established. 

Houston  was  practically  the  first  city  to  take  charge  of  its 
public  schools.  At  a  public  meeting,  held  March  1,  1870,  after 
some  discussion,  a  petition  and  bill,  prepared  by  the  School  Com- 
mittee, were  voted  on  and  adopted,  and  it  was  determined  to 
submit  a  memorial  to  the  voters  of  the  city  for  signatures.  If 


174  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

this  memorial  were  well  indorsed,  as  it  was  believed  it  would  be, 
it  was  hoped  that  when  the  legislature  convened  Houston  would 
have  the  management  of  her  public  educational  institutions 
placed  in  her  own  hands. 

The  committee  having  the  matter  in  hand,  were  surprised 
to  meet  with  the  strongest  opposition  when  they  circulated  the 
petition  for  signatures.  This  opposition  came  from  several 
sources.  The  opposition  used  the  old  argument  that  a  public 
school  must  necessarily  be  a  charity  school.  This  idea  being  dis- 
pelled they  claimed  that  such  institutions  were  undesirable  because 
of  the  mixed  social  conditions  they  would  bring  about.  Such  argu- 
ments as  these  were  easily  refuted  but  there  were  others  not  so 
easily  overcome. 

At  that  time  strong  sectional  and  political  feeling  existed. 
Not  only  the  people  who  opposed  the  schools  but  the  politicians, 
who  cared  little  or  nothing  about  the  schools  themselves,  as 
schools,  but  who  saw  in  their  proposed  establishment  a  powerful 
political  weapon,  attacked  the  idea  vigorously.  These  gentlemen 
argued  that  books,  many  of  them  of  undesirable  political  com- 
plexion, would  be  forced  on  the  public ;  that  teachers,  all  chosen 
from  one  political  party,  would  conduct  the  schools  for  partisan 
ends,  and  that  a  large  part  of  the  taxes  levied  would  go  for  the 
support  of  some  hungry  politician  as  superintendent.  In  reply 
to  these  arguments  it  was  pointed  out  that  suitable  books  could 
be  selected  by  a  convention  of  experienced  and  reputable  edu- 
cators, and  that  a  good  board  of  school  directors  would  select 
teachers,  not  because  of  their  political  beliefs  but  because  of  their 
qualifications  as  educators  and  their  ability  to  teach.  It  was 
shown  that  if  a  board  of  school  directors  so  far  forgot  themselves 
as  to  select  ignoramuses  or  political  hacks  for  teachers,  such 
directors  could  be  easily  kicked  out  and  good  men  put  in  their 
places. 

Those  on  both  sides  of  the  question  were  siacer-j  in  the 
position  they  took,  and  both  were  united  on  one  thing,  which 
was  a  desire  and  determination  to  remove  the  schools  and  the 
cause  of  education  out  of  politics.  The  friends  of  the  measure 
believed  that  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  establish  the  schools. 


Education  and  Free  Schools  175 

Mistakes  and  blunders  could  be  corrected  as  they  were  discovered. 
If  for  any  reason  the  system  should  fail,  wholly  or  in  part,  then 
the  people,  having  had  experience  in  such  matters,  would  be  in 
position  to  put  in  operation  a  better  system ;  under  a  republican 
form  of  government  public  education  was  imperative  and  no 
obstacle  should  be  placed  in  the  way  of  any  movement  looking 
to  its  establishment. 

The  petition  received  the  indorsement  of  the  people,  was  for- 
warded to  Austin,  and  the  authority  was  given  Houston  to 
assume  the  management  and  control  of  her  public  schools.  But 
there  was  too  much  opposition  to  the  plan  and  nothing  practical 
was  accomplished.  There  were  public  schools  here  but  they 
were  controlled  and  largely  managed  by  the  State  Superintend- 
ent at  Austin,  who,  it  was  claimed,  furnished  the  local  opposi- 
tion with  a  strong  argument,  by  appointing  his  political  friends 
to  the  better  positions. 

The  public  schools  of  Houston  thus  remained  in  an  unor- 
ganized condition  until  December  5,  1877,  when  by  a  vote  of  the 
people,  the  city  took  charge  of  the  schools.  The  schools  \vere 
thoroughly  organized  the  following  year.  The  first  superintend- 
ent of  the  public  schools  of  Houston  was  Professor  H.  H.  Smith, 
who  served  from  1877  to  1879,  when  he  resigned  to  take  charge 
of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Huntsville.  Professor  E.  N. 
Clopper  was  elected  superintendent,  when  Professor  Smith 
retired,  and  died  while  in  office  in  1880.  The  Board  selected 
Professor  F.  E.  Burnet  as  Professor  Clopper 's  successor,  but 
difficulties  arose  and  Professor  Burnet  resigned.  He  was  followed 
by  Professor  Foute,  who  served  from  1882  until  1884  when  he 
was  forced  to  resign  on  account  of  failing  health,  dying  soon 
after.  Professor  J.  E.  Dow  then  became  superintendent,  serv- 
ing from  1885  until  1887.  Professor  W.  S.  Sutton,  a  noted 
educator,  served  from  1887  until  1902.  In  1903,  Professor  P. 
W.  Horn  was  elected  superintendent  and  has  held  the  office 
ever  since. 

There  haVe  been  many  chairmen  of  the  school  board  since 
the  organization  of  the  Houston  schools,  but  perhaps  the  greatest 
credit  for  the  success  of  the  schools  belongs  to  the  first  chairman, 


176  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Captain  E.  W.  Taylor,  who  served  from  1876  to  1886,  and  who 
was  superintendent,  pro  tern,  several  times.  Doctor  Sears,  agent 
for  the  Peabody  trustees,  was  largely  instrumental  in  getting  the 
people  of  Houston  to  take  charge  of  their  public  schools  and 
secured  from  that  fund  a  yearly  appropriation  of  $2,000  for 
the  schools.  Mr.  Charles  E.  Shearn,  during  his  service  as  alder- 
man inaugurated  the  movement  to- build  better  school  buildings 
and  in  other  ways  further  the  cause  of  education. 

The  public  schools  opened  October  1st,  1877,  under  the 
present  system  and  the  following  extract  from  the  Houston  Age, 
of  October  2,  describes  the  occasion  under  the  heading,  "Open- 
ing of  the  Houston  Public  Schools."  The  Age  says:  "Yester- 
day morning  might  have  been  seen  bright  eyed  little  boys  and 
girls,  satchels  and  baskets  in  hand,  wending  their  way  through 
every  portion  of  the  city,  seeking  different  routes  to  their  respec- 
tively assigned  schools.  At  an  early  hour  an  Age  reporter  sought 
Professor  Smith,  and  with  him  made  the  rounds.  There  are  four- 
teen public  schools  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  which,  adapted  to 
different  wards,  are  necessarily  situated  some  distance  apart, 
consequently  want  of  time  prevented  us  from  visiting  the  entire 
number.  Eight,  however,  were  visited  and  we  found  the.  teachers 
of  these  highly  elated  with  their  most  promising  beginning,  and 
speaking  in  the  most  flattering  terms  of  their  newly  formed 
young  acquaintances. 

"We  can  candidly  say  that,  despite  all  that  has  been  urged 
to  the  contrary,  we  have  never  witnessed  a  more  refined  and 
intelligent-looking  class  of  pupils  than  we  found  yesterday  in 
our  public  schools. 

"The  schools  are  patronized  by  our  best  and  most  prominent 
citizens  and  are  conducted  by  some  of  the  most  intelligent  ladies 
in  Houston.  In  short,  the  public  schools  of  Houston  are  pervaded 
throughout  with  a  spirit  of  refinement  seldom  found  in  institu- 
tions of  a  like  character. 

"In  our  most  pleasant  journey  with  Professor  Smith,  we 
found  that  gentleman  fully  alive  to  the  onerous  labors  attending 
his  highly  responsible  position.  * 

"Our  first  visit  was  paid  to  the  white  school  of  the  Third 


Education  and  Free  Schools  177 

ward,  where  we  found  Miss  C.  Gr.  Forshey,  who  as  principal, 
was  assisted  by  Mrs.  M.  T.  Reddish.  They  were  busily  engaged 
in  assigning  the  many  pupils  to  the  various  grades  and  classes. 
Miss  Forshey  was  much  pleased  with  her  school.  She  had  under 
her  charge  fifty  girls  and  fifty  boys,  ranging  from  the  first  to  the 
sixth  grades.  In  cleanliness,  good  appearance  and  polite  deport- 
ment Miss  Forshey 's  school  would  be  hard  to  surpass.  We 
may  here  mention  that  the  pupils  are  graded  according  to  their 
mathematical  proficiency,  the  first  grades  being  most  primary. 

"After  leaving  the  Third  we  visited  the  Fourth  ward,  in 
which,  confining  ourselves  to  this  side  of  the  bayou,  we  found  five 
public  schools.  The  first  on  our  way  was  that  conducted  by  Mrs. 
Z.  M.  Noble,  as  principal,  assisted  by  Miss  Becky  Hillyard.  In  this 
Noble,  as  principal,  assisted  by  Miss  Becky  Hillyard.  In  this 
school  were  63  pupils,  39  in  the  second  grade  and  24  in  the  first 
grade.  This  school  house  is  beautifully  situated  on  Dallas  Street, 
with  a  large  play-ground  and  other  modern  school  conveniences. 
The  pupils  are  bright,  intelligent  children  who  gave  marked 
attention  to  the  preliminary  instruction  of  Professor  Smith, 
who  greeted  all  the  teachers  and  pupils  with  encouraging 
speeches. 

"The  school  of  Mrs.  M.  H.  Wynne,  in  the  same  ward,  num- 
bered 21  pupils,  all  in  the  sixth  grade  and  taught  by  Mrs.  Wynne 
herself.  This  is  the  only  school  confined  to  one  grade  and  that 
an  advanced  one.  Here  Professor  Smith  made  an  examination 
which  reflected  great  credit  on  Mrs.  Wynne. 

"Mrs.  Kate  de  Pelchin,  also  in  the  Fourth  ward,  has  under 
her  efficient  charge  13  boys  and  18  girls,  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
grades. 

"In  the  Second  ward,  near  the  Union  Depot,  is  situated  the 
school  for  that  district.  It  is  under  the  able  supervision  of 
Miss  Annie  Jones,  assisted  by  Mrs.  W.  M.  Boper.  These  ladies 
have  a  new  building  for  their  school  which  has  50  in  the  first 
grade  and  24  in  the  second. 

"In  the  same  neighborhood  is  the  colored  school  for  the 
Second  ward.  There  are  72  pupils  in  this  school,  ranging  from  the 


178  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

first  to  the  fourth  grade.  Airs.  C.  E.  Johnson  is  principal.  She 
is  assisted  by  Mrs.  J.  T.  McGee. 

"The  Third  ward  colored  school  is  taught  by  Mrs.  L.  C. 
Fisher  and  H.  Dibble,  both  colored,  the  former  acting  as  princi- 
pal and  the  latter  as  assistant.  They  have  89  pupils  ranging 
from  the  first  to  the  fourth  grades. 

' '  Gregory  Institute,  is  the  colored  school  for  the  Fourth  ward, 
the  largest  school  in  the  city.  H.  C.  Hardy,  principal ;  A.  Osborn 
and  Miss  Brinkley,  assistants;  all  colored.  The  pupils  number 
170,  ranging  from  the  first  to  the  seventh  grades." 

No  details  of  the  teachers  or  enrollment  for  the  other  schools 
were  given  by  the  Age,  but  at  a  meeting  of  the  teachers  and 
school  officials,  held  October  the  13th,  Professor  Smith  made  the 
following  report : 

'.'First  ward — whites  attending,  78;  Second  ward,  110; 
Third  ward,  118;  Fourth  ward,  14fi;  Fourth  ward  south  of  the 
bayou — 195,  making  the  total  of  white  pupils  617.  The  number 
last  Saturday  was  a  total  of  512,  thus  showing  an  increase  of 
more  than  100  during  the  week.  The  total  number  o?  pupils 
attending  the  colored  schools  is  618,  an  increase  of  one  over  the 
whites.  This  makes  the  grand  total  1,235  attending  our  public 
schools,  increasing  the  number  nearly  300  since  the  opening." 

At  that  meeting  Superintendent  Smith  expressed  himself 
as  greatly  pleased  with  such  results  and  expressed  confidence  in 
the  successful  future  of  the  great  work  that  had  been  placed  in 
his  hands.  At  that  meeting  the  Board  of  School  Trustees  issued 
the  following  notice: 

"Editors  of  the  Age: — The  public  schools  of  Houston  are 
now  in  operation  and  working  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  the 
Board  of  Trustees  report  with  pleasure  that  the  number  of 
pupils  is  daily  increasing. 

' '  In  view  of  the  fact  that  there  is  a  large  number  of  children 
in  attendance  who  are  under  eight  years  of  age  and  over  fourteen 
years,  the  trustees  would  call  the  attention  of  parents  and  guard- 
ians to  section  7  of  an  ordinance  to  establish  and  provide  for 
public  schools  in  Houston,  which  reads  as  follows:  'All  chil- 
dren between  the  ages  of  eight  and  fourteen  years,  living  in  the 


Education  and  Free  Schools  179 

city,  shall  be  entitled  to  the  benefits  of  the  available  school  fund 
of  the  city  under  this  ordinance,  without  regard  to  race  or  color. 
No  child  shall  be  admitted  to  the  public  schools  of  the  city  who 
does  not  reside  in  the  city,  and  white  and  colored  children  shall, 
in  all  cases,  be  taught  in  separate  schools.'  signed,  E.  W.  Taylor, 
B.  C.  Simpson,  R.  Cotter,  Board  of  Trustees." 

The  public  schools  having  been  successfully  inaugurated, 
and  the  people  having  perfect  confidence  in  the  gentlemen  who 
had  control  of  them,  all  opposition  ceased  and  since  then  the 
course  of  the  schools  has  ever  been  upward.  Many  changes  have 
been  made  and  improvements  introduced,  but  the  fundamental 
basis  of  the  system  is  today  the  same  as  that  adopted  in  1877. 
The  growth  of  the  schools  has  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of  the 
city  of  Houston.  In  1877  the  schools  opened  with  an  attendance 
of  1,235.  During  the  first  week  of  the  session  1885-86,  there 
was  an  enrollment  of  1,725,  and  this  enrollment  had  grown  to 
3,604  in  1891.  The  following  facts,  taken  from  an  address  made 
by  Prof.  P.  W.  Horn,  superintendent  of  the  Houston  Schools, 
shows  how  phenomenal  had  been  the  growth  of  the  scholastic 
population  of  Houston  and  of  the  schools  under  his  charge  up  to 
the  close  of  1909  : 

"The  city  schools  furnish  perhaps  the  best  means  of  indi- 
cating the  real  growth  of  the  city.  While  the  United  States 
Government  takes  a  census  of  all  the  people  every  ten  years,  the 
state  of  Texas  counts  her  school  children  every  year.  In  this 
way  the  school  census,  most  of  the  time,  furnishes  later  informa- 
tion than  the  government  census.  For  instance  the  government 
census  of  1900  made  Houston  the  second  city  in  the  state,  the 
school  census  of  1909  indicated  that  Houston  was  the  first  city 
in  the  state,  though  she  was  surpassed  a  year  later  by  San 
Antonio,  according  to  the  government  count.  Houston  had 
17,115  children  of  the  school  age,  while  no  other  city  in  the  stat< 
had  as  much  as  17,000.  If  you  would  trace  the  growth  of  the 
city  it  may  be  done  by  reference  to  the  school  census  of  diiTerent 
years.  For  instance,  in  1900  the  school  census  was  8,492,  or 
less  than  half  of  what  it  was  in  1909.  This  shows  that  our  pop- 
ulation had  more  than  doubled  in  nine  years.  In  1891,  on  the 


180  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

other  hand,  we  had  6,330  children  of  school  age.  In  eighteen 
years  the  population  had  almost  multiplied  by  3.  Back  in  1881 
there  were  2,861  children  of  school  age  on  the  census  roll.  This 
means  that  in  28  years  to  1909  Houston's  school  population  was 
more  than  multiplied  by  six.  In  1880  the  government  census 
gave  the  total  population  of  Houston  as  16,664.  In  other  words 
there  were  in  1880  fewer  people,  of  all  ages  in  Houston  than 
there  were  school  children  in  1909.  In  1881  there  were  actually 
enrolled  in  school  1,010  white  and  786  colored  children,  1,796  in 
all.  In  1908  there  were  actually  enrolled  in  school  10,631  chil- 
dren. There  were  in  1909  more  children  in  the  high  school 
building  and  the  Fannin  building  together,  than  there  were, 
white  and  colored,  in  all  the  schools  in  Houston  in  1881.  In  1881 
there  were  19  white  and  11  colored  teachers — 30  in  all — employed 
in  the  city  schools.  In  1909  there  were  more  than  30  employed 
in  the  high  school  alone.  The  session  of  that  year  employed  202 
white  and  62  colored  teachers,  264  in  all.  The  next  session  de- 
manded the  services  of  approximately  300  teachers.  Of  the 
teachers  employed  in  1881,  only  one,  Professor  G.  Duvernoy, 
remained  with  the  faculty  in  1909. 

"In  1881  the  entire  expenditure  of  the  city  school  system 
for  maintenance  was  $15,369.24.  In  1909  it  amounted  to  $231,- 
636.56.  In  1881  the  average  salary  of  teachers  was  $43.53  a 
month.  In  1909  it  approximated  $65.  In  1881,  there  were  7 
school  buildings  for  whites  and  5  for  colored  children.  In  1909 
there  were  16  for  whites  and  10  for  colored  children.  The 
average  number  of  rooms  to  the  building  had  greatly  increased 
also.  In  1903-04  there  were  8,811  children  enrolled;  in  the 
session  of  1908-09,  there  were  10,651.  The  actual  increase  in 
enrollment  was  1,840.  In  1903-04,  there  were  147  white  and  53 
colored  teachers  employed,  making  200  in  all.  The  266  teachers 
of  1908  showed  a  growth  of  the  teaching  force  of  nearly  one- 
third.  In  the  matter  of  school  buildings  there  was  even  a  great- 
er degree  of  progress  within  the  five  years  ending  1909.  Within 
that  period  the  city  had  erected  5  new  brick  bui'dings,  for 
white  children — the  Allen,  Reagan,  Lubbock,  Lamar  and  Travis 
school  buildings — and  3  substantial  frame  buildings  for  colored 


Education  and  Free  Schools  181 

children — those  of  the  Douglass,  Luckie  and  Dunbar  schools. 
It  gave  in  the  same  period,  additional  rooms  at  the  Jones,  Dow, 
Taylor,  Hawthorne,  Austin  and  Longfellow  schools  for  white, 
and  at  the  Gregory  school  for  colored  children.  At  the  end  of 
the  period  there  was  in  course  of  erection  an  annex  to  the  high 
school  building  that  would  add  30  per  cent  to  its  capacity.  The 
high  school  annex  was  completed  in  1910  and  the  additional 
enrollment  for  that  year  was  about  1,200  pupils. 

"  Without  entering  upon  the  discussion  of  a  political  ques- 
tion, it  is  but  justice  to  call  attention  to  the  dates  given  in  the 
foregoing,  which  show  that  all  these  great  improvements  have 
been  made  since  the  adoption  of  the  commission  form  of  gov- 
ernment. For  some  years  previous  to  the  adoption  of  that  form 
of  government,  the  schools  had  received  only  perfunctory  atten- 
tion ;  had,  in  a  measure,  been,  permitted  to  languish,  and  but 
little  or  no  advance  had  been  made.  So  soon  as  the  commission 
form  was  adopted,  the  schools  were  given  that  intelligent  atten- 
tion their  great  importance  demanded  and  wonderful  changes 
were  wrought.  In  carrying  out  their  liberal  and  progressive 
policy  towards  the  schools,  the  commissioners  have  frequently 
had  to  discount  the  future  and  anticipate  the  growth  of  the  city. 
This  has  not  always  met  with  the  approval  and  indorsement  of 
even  some  of  the  best  friends  of  the  schools,  but  results  have 
shown  the  wisdom  of  the  city  fathers.  A  notable  example  of  this 
was  when  the  Fannin  school  was  located  on  its  present  site.  It 
was  considered  to  be  away -out  in  the  suburbs  and  some  of  the 
best  citizens  asked  the  school  board  why  they  did  not  locate  the 
school  in  Galveston  at  once  and  be  done  with  it.  The  school 
was  located  as  originally  planned,  however,  and  by  1909,  it  was 
one  of  the  most  crowded  schools  in  the  city.  The  Allen  school 
now  divides  the  district  which  the  Fannin  at  first  had  to  serve, 
and  there  is  a  growing  demand  for  a  third  school  in  the  same 
district.  In  1896  there  were  only  six  rooms  in  the  Sidney  Sher- 
man school  in  the  Fifth  ward.  In  1909  there  was  a  12-room  build- 
ing and  another  12-room  building  and  an  8-room  building  in 
the  same  old  district. 

"The  opposition  spoken  of  did  not  spring  from  enmity  to 


182  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

the  schools  or  to  those  in  charge  of  them,  but  was  due  entirely  to 
a  failure  on  the  part  of  a  large  number  of  the  most  intelligent 
citizens,  to  realize  the  phenomenal  growth  and  expansion  of 
Houston.  They  desired  to  be  conservative.,  that  was  all.  As 
already  noted  they  objected  to  the  Fannin  school,  but  that  objec- 
tion was  as  peaceful  acquiescence  compared  to  the  storm  of  indig- 
nation that  broke  out  when  the  present  high  school  was  erected. 
The  school  board  was  accused  of  stupendous  extravagance  in 
erecting  a  high  school  building  larger  than  the  city  would  need 
in  a  hundred  years.  In  fourteen  years  the  building  was  not  only 
full,  but  an  annex  had  to  be  added  increasing  its  capacity  one- 
third,  despite  which,  it  is  now  painfully  crowded  An  idea  of  the 
rapid  growth  of  the  school  population  of  Houston  may  be 
formed  from  the  statement  that  the  schools  opened  with  1,300 
pupils  more  in  1908-9  than  on  the  opening  day  of  the  previous 
session.  This  indicates  that  the  later  growth  is  the  larger 
growth  in  the  city  schools. 

' '  All  that  has  been  said  in  the  foregoing  refers  solely  to  what 
may  be  termed  the  material  side  of  the  schools.  The  real  value 
of  an  educational  system  cannot  be  shown  by  an  array  of  figures 
nor  estimated  by  the  outlay  of  dollars  and  cents.  There  is  a 
higher  and  better  standard  of  measurement — the  intellectual 
and  practical  development  of  the  system.  In  this  regard  the 
people  of  Houston  have  every  reason  to  take  pride  in  their 
schools,  for  it  has  been  the  constant  aim  of  those  schools  to 
minister  more  and  more  largely  to  the  practical  necessities  as 
well  as  to  the  intellectual  development  of  the  pupils  who  attend 
them.  It  is  aimed  to  give  to  each  boy  and  girl  that  which  will 
best  fit  him  or  her  to  meet  the  actual  duties  of  practical  life. 
With  this  end  in  view  manual  training  and  domestic  science  have 
been  installed  in  the  schools.  The  boys  are  taught  to  use  their 
hands,  for  most  of  them  will  have  to  use  their  hands  when  it 
comes  to  a  question  of  earning  a  living,  and  all  of  them  will 
have  to  use  their  hands  to  some  extent.  The  boys  are  taught 
practical  work  in  regular  work  shops.  Wood  work,  carpentry, 
blacksmith  and  machine  work;  in  fact  everything  that  will  tend 
to  make  them  practical  workers  when  the  time  comes  for  them 


Education  and  Free  Schools  183 

to  face  the  serious  problems  of  life.  The  girls  are  taught  domes- 
tic science.  The  teaching  is  not  theoretical  but  intensely  prac- 
tical. Classes  of  girls  are  actually  at  work  learning  not  only 
the  value  of  food,  but  how  to  prepare  and  cook  it.  Sewing  is 
also  taught  and  thus  the  girls  turned  out  by  the  Houston  schools 
are  more  thoroughly  equipped  for  life's  duties.  The  business 
course  at  the  high  school  is  another  feature  of  great  practical 
value.  It  affords  boys  and  girls  an  opportunity  to  obtain 
a  knowledge  of  bookkeeping,  stenography  and  typewriting.  Many 
who  have  taken  that  course  are  holding  responsible  positions  and 
filling  them  well.  The  night  school  is  another  valuable  feature 
of  the  Houston  schools.  This,  too,  is  a  development  of  recent 
3  ears.  Every  pupil  enrolled  has  to  furnish  evidence  that  lie  is 
employed  in  the  daytime.  No  pupil  under  cw?lve  years  of  aye  is 
admitted.  Many  pupils  over  school  age  have  been  admitted,  some 
grown  men  in  business.  Most  of  the  latter  are  foreigners  anxious 
to  learn  the  English  language.  Young  women,  employed  in  the 
daytime,  have  been  taught  to  cook  and  sew.  Young  men,  at 
work  in  shops  in  the  daytime,  have  been  taught  mechanical 
drawing  and  other  technical  things  essential  to  their  progress 
as  artisans.  Many  boys  and  girls  employed  in  stores  come  at 
night  for  education  that  wnl  add  to  their  efficiency  as  workers. 

"At  the  Rusk  school  in  the  Second  ward,  particular  effort 
is  made  to  adopt  the  work  to  special  needs.  At  this  school  there 
is  manual  training  work,  domestic  science  work  and  kindergarten 
work.  There  is  a  special  room  for  exceptional  and  subnormal 
pupils,  one  of  the  few  in  the  Southern  States. 

"In  1909  there  were  four  kindergartens  connected  with  the 
Houston  public  school  system ;  one  each  at  the  following  schools : 
Allen,  Rusk,  Reagan  and  Travis.  The  expense  of  maintaining 
these  kindergarten  schools  is  borne  by  organizations  outside  the 
regular  schools. 

"The  organization  of  'a  mothers'  club'  for 'active  work  at 
each  school  has  been  of  inestimable  assistance  and  benefit.  Most 
of  these  clubs  have  been  in  existence  only  since  1907  and  in  1908 
and  1909,  they  expended  in  money,  $21,548.18,  besides  the  great 


184  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

amount  of  personal  attention  and  work  given  by  the  members. 
These  sums  and  efforts  increase  in  amounts  each  year." 

The  Mothers  Clubs  and  the  Art  League  have  aided  the  pro- 
gressive scientific  movements  in  the  Houston  schools.  Hygenic 
lunches,  at  all  the  schools,  trained  nurses  at  some  of  them,  the 
examination  of  the  eyes  of  all  the  children  by  the  school  oculist 
Dr.  W.  W.  Ralston  and  medical  lectures  by  specialists  and 
physicians,  all  of  these  things  have  marked  the  distinctive  pro- 
gressive spirit  of  the  Houston  schools  under  Superintendent 
Horn,  the  ablest  public  school  educator  in  the  state,  who  com- 
bines scholarship  with  rare  executive  and  practical  ability. 

The  teachers  and  principals  of  the  schools  are  still  miserably 
underpaid  and  that  fact  constitutes  the  shame  of  the  city  in  con- 
nection with  its  public  schools.  That  so  capable  a  corps  of  edu- 
cators can  be  recruited  for  so  ridiculously  small  a  remuneration  as 
is  paid  them,  is  one  of  the  civic  mysteries.  Visitors  and  committees 
from  many  cities  are  wont  to  come  to  Houston  to  study  the 
advanced  methods  and  equipment  of  the  public  schools  here. 

Professor  P.  W.  Horn,  superintendent  of  Houston's  public 
schools,  thus  summarizes  the  history  of  the  schools  for  the  decade 
ending  October  1,  1911 : 

"Ten  years  ago  Houston  had  just  heard  the  returns  from  the 
federal  census  and  was  proud  to  know  that  her  population  was 
given  as  44,633.  Now  she  has  just  learned  that  the  census  gives 
her  78,800  people,  and  she  is  disappointed  even  at  that  figure. 

"At  that  time  the  streets  of  Houston  were  practically  all 
unpaved  and  the  highest  business  buildings  were  only  a  few 
stories  high.  Now  she  has  miles  of  paving  of  various  kinds,  with 
numbers  of  office  buildings  from  10  to  16  stories  high. 

' '  The  schools  have  grown  as  much  in  the  ten  years  as  has  the 
city  itself.  At  that  time  the  scholastic  census  said  that  there 
were  8,492  children  of  school  age.  Now  the  census  says  that  we 
have  19,112.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  former  census  was  based  on 
the  ages  from  8  to  17  and  that  the  present  census  has  added  a 
year  and  counts  children  from  7  to  17.  The  addition  of  this  year 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  the  school  census  has  grown  so  much 
more  rapidly  than  the  federal  census  indicates. 


Education  and  Free  Schools  185 

"Ten  years  ago  there  were  actually  in  school  7,253  children. 
Last  year  there  were  12,868. 

"Ten  years  ago  we  had  16  school  buildings,  with  107  school 
rooms.  Last  year  we  had  26  school  buildings  and  299  school 
rooms. 

"Ten  years  ago  we  had  147  teachers.    Now  we  have  325. 

"The  enrollment  in  the  high  school  has  increased  even  more 
rapidly  than  that  in  the  school  systems  as  a  whole.  Ten  years 
ago  there  were  544  pupils  enrolled  in  the  white  high  school  build- 
ing. Last  year  there  were  1,018.  While  the  schools  as  a  whole 
have  increased  77  per  cent,  the  pupils  in  the  high  school  have 
increased  87  per  cent. 

' '  Ten  years  ago  the  total  value  of  all  the  school  property  of 
the  city  was  $430,250.  Last  year  it  was  $1,000,000. 

' '  Ten  years  ago,  of  the  ten  buildings  for  white  children,  five 
were  brick  and  five  were  frame.  Of  the  six  buildings  for  colored 
pupils,  one  was  brick  and  five  were  frame. 

"Probably  the  most  striking  of  the  things  that  have  been 
added  to  the  schools  during  the  past  ten  years  are  the  subjects 
of  manual  training  and  domestic  science.  These  departments 
are  the  growth  of  the  last  five  years  and  are  probably  among  the 
most  popular  features  of  the  schools. 

"In  the  domestic  science  department  work  of  similar  practi- 
cal value  is  done  for  girls.  They  are  taught  to  cook  and  to 
sew.  Their  cooking  is  not  confined  to  desserts,  or  to  fancy  dishes 
but  includes  those  things  which  the  average  girl  is  likely  to 
need  to  know  how  to  cook  in  the  home  of  her  parents,  or  in  her 
own.  The  sewing  which  the  girls  learn  is  the  kind  which  they 
will  need  in  their  actual  every-day  lives. 

' '  Ten  years  ago  there  was  little  or  no  special  attention  given 
to  the  physical  development  or  welfare  of  the  school  children. 
Now  we  have  a  physical  director  who  looks  after  the  physical 
development  of  all  the  school  children,  and  also  a  woman  who 
gives  all  of  her  time  to  the  physical  development  of  the  girls  of 
the  high  school.  Not  only  is  there  formal  gymnastic  training  in 
the  gymnasium  of  the  high  school,  and  in  the  outdoor  gymnasi- 


186  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

urns  at  a  number  of  the  ward  schools,  but  there  are  schedules 
of  games  and  of  contests  between  the  various  schools. 

' '  Ten  years  ago  all  the  children  in  the  schools  were  using  the 
community  drinking  cups.  Now  in  most  of  the  buildings,  hygi- 
enic drinking  fountains  have  been  installed  so  that  the  children 
drink  without  touching  their  lips  to  a  vessel  of  any  kind,  and 
thus  avoid  one  fruitful  source  of  the  transmission  of  germs  of 
contageous  diseases. 

' '  Even  up  to  three  years  ago  there  was  no  medical  inspection 
for  the  school  children.  If  a  teacher  thought  that  a  child  had 
measles  or  smallpox,  or  that  his  eyes  looked  as  if  they  might  be 
contagiously  sore,  she  acted  on  her  own  judgment  and  sent  the 
pupil  home.  Now  we  have  a  paid  medical  inspector  who  examines 
all  of  the  children  once  a  year,  and  examines  special  cases  at  any 
time  they  may  be  sent  to  him.  He  excludes  from  school,  chil- 
dren whose  physical  condition  is  such  that  their  presence  in  the 
room  might  endanger  the  health  of  the  other  children.  There 
is  also  a  school  nurse  wlio  goes  into  the  homes  of  the  people 
when  it  may  be  necessary  and  assists  with  her  advice,  seeing  to 
it  that  the  suggestions  of  the  doctor  are  carried  out.  This  work 
has  done  a  great  deal.  Not  only  for  the  welfare  of  the  children 
who  were  directly  affected,  but  also  for  the  others,  by  keeping 
them  from  the  danger  of  contagion. 

"In  most  of  our  buildings  today  there  are  rest  rooms,  or 
emergency  hospital  rooms  fitted  up  for  use  by  teacher  or  pupil  in 
case  of  sickness  or  accident.  Many  of  them  are  of  such  nature  that 
they  would  be  a  credit  even  in  a  modern  hospital. 

"Ten  years  ago  it  is  probable  that  there  was  not  a  piano  in 
any  one  of  the  public  school  buildings  of  Houston.  Now  there 
is  at  least  one  in  every  school  building  for  white  children.  Some 
buildings  have  two  or  three  pianos.  A  number  of  the  colored 
schools  possess  pianos.  The  influence  of  the  piano  in  giving 
instruction  to  the  pupils  and  in  the  mere  matter  of  coming  into 
and  out  of  the  building  is  greater  than  one  would  at  first  suppose. 

' '  At  several  of  the  school  buildings  now  there  are  also  graph- 
ophones,  with  records  of  classical  music  for  the  benefit  of  the 
children.  At  a  number  of  these  same  buildings  there  are  stere- 


Education  and  Free  Schools  187 

opticons  and  stereoscopes  with  views  to  be  used  in  illustrating 
the  work  in  history  and  geography.  The  stereopticon  is  one  of 
the  strong  factors  in  the  work  of  a  good  modern  school.  In 
many  instances  the  stereopticon,  the  phonograph  and  the  piano 
have  not  cost  the  board  anything,  but  were  purchased  by  the 
Mothers'  Club  at  the  building. 

' '  This  brings  us  to  one  of  the  most  vital  of  all  the  improve- 
ments made  in  the  past  ten  years,  namely,  the  Mothers'  Clubs. 
Ten  years  ago  there  were  no  mothers'  clubs  in  our  schools.  Now 
there  is  one  at  every  building  for  white  children  and  at  several 
of  the  buildings  for  colored  children.  During  the  past  five  years 
these  clubs  have  raised  and  have  expended  for  the  schools  the  sum 
of  $38,070.67.  This  has,  for  the  most  part,  been  expended  for 
things  the  board  could  not  at  the  time  have  secured. 

' '  However,  this  sum  of  money  gives  only  a  faint  idea  of  the 
real  greatness  of  the  work  of  the  Mothers'  Club. 

"Ten  years  ago  there  were  no  night  schools  connected  with 
our  city  system.  During  last  year  there  were  such  schools  with  an 
enrollment  of  524  boys  and  girls,  men  and  women.  There  is  no 
age  limit  in  the  night  schools.  In  some  instances  men  of  40  to 
50  years  of  age  attend.  The  schools  are  intended  for  people  who 
must  work  during  the  daytime,  but  who  still  are  desirous  of 
obtaining  more  education.  An  effort  is  made  to  teach  the  simplest 
and  most  practical  things,  which  the  students  will  put  to  the  great- 
est use  in  actual  life.  For  instance,  there  are  classes  in  reading, 
writing,  arithmetic  and  spelling.  There  are  also  classes  in  cabinet 
making,  mechanical  drawing  and  forging  for  the  boys.  There 
are  classes  in  cooking  and  sewing  for  the  girls.  There  are  classes 
in  bookkeeping,  in  typewriting  and  in  stenography.  There  are 
special  classes  for  foreigners  who  desire  to  learn  to  speak  and 
read  and  write  the  English  language.  These  classes  are  held 
three  nights  in  the  week,  on  Monday,  Wednesday  and  Friday. 
They  are  making  it  possible  for  the  man  or  woman  past  school 
age,  or  for  the  child  of  school  age  who  must  help  support  the 
family,  to  obtain  the  education  that  will  be  of  the  greatest  prac- 
tical use. 

' '  In  recent  years  also  there  has  been  a  marked  movement  in 


188  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

favor  of  the  socialization  of  our  school  buildings  and  the  widest 
possible  use  of  our  school  plants.  The  present  idea  is  that  the 
schools  are  for  the  education  not  of  the  children  alone,  but  of 
the  community  as  a  whole.  Organizations  that  have  for  their 
object  the  betterment  of  the  community  are  welcomed  to  the 
use  of  the  building.  Improvement  clubs  hold  meetings  and  lec- 
tures are  given  in  the  school  building.  The  health  of  the  com- 
munity is  considered  and  lectures  on  matters  of  hygiene  are 
given  from  time  to  time. 

"There  has  also  been  a  distinct  change  in  the  standards  of 
school  buildings  to  be  erected.  Years  ago,  the  city  stopped  put- 
ing  up  frame  buildings  for  the  white  school  children.  During 
the  past  year  it  has  been  definitely  adopted  as  a  policy  that  no 
school  buildings  will  in  the  future  be  erected  that  are  not  fire- 
proof. It  was  also  decided  that  all  school  buildings  to  be  erected 
in  the  future  should  be  constructed  along  the  most  modern  ideas 
as  to  heating,  lighting  and  ventilation ;  should  have  auditoriums 
and  should  be  so  constructed  as  to  be  capable  of  the  widest  possi- 
ble use  by  the  community. 

"The  first  of  these  new  buildings  to  be  built  will  doubtless  be 
the  one  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  Rusk  school,  which  burned 
last  year.  The  plans  that  have  been  drawn  for  this  building  are 
such  as  to  mark  a  new  epoch  in  the  history  of  school  house  con- 
struction in  Texas.  When  the  proceeds  of  the  bond  issue  of 
$500,000' voted  by  the  people  last  May,  shall  become  available, 
all  of  the  wooden  buildings  for  white  school  children  in  the  city 
will  be  torn  down  and  will  be  replaced  with  modern  buildings  of 
the  kind  indicated  above.  This  will  mark  the  last  of  the  old 
regime,  so  far  as  school  buildings  in  Houston  are  concerned. 

' '  The  handling  of  the  financial  details  of  the  schools  has  also 
been  revolutionized  in  recent  years.  They  are  now  in  the  hands 
of  the  business  representatives  of  the  school  board.  He  looks 
after  such  matters  as  the  purchase  of  supplies,  the  making  of 
repairs,  the  keeping  of  accounts.  By  giving  all  his  time  to  the 
work,  he  is  able,  with  the  help  of  an  assistant,  to  keep  matters 
in  systematic  order.  He  can  tell  at  a  moment's  notice  how  much 
has  been  spent  for  a  given  purpose  up  to  a  given  time  and  how 


Education  and  Free  Schools  189 

much   of  the   year's   appropriation   for   that  purpose   remains 
unspent. 

"It  may  be  interesting  in  conclusion  to  speculate  as  to  the 
progress  of  the  next  ten  years.  If  the  same  ratio  of  increase 
is  kept  up,  which  prevailed  during  the  past  ten  years,  Houston 
will  have  a  population  of  138,688,  without  making  any  allowance 
for  territorial  expansions.  There  will  be  22,776  pupils  enrolled 
in  the  schools,  which  is  10,000  more  than  we  have  today.  There 
will  be  42  school  buildings  instead  of  26.  There  will  be  2,083 
pupils  in  the  white  high  school  alone." 

TABLE  OF   COMPARATIVE  FIGURES. 

1900-01—  1910-11 

Total  population,  census  1900 44,633  78,800 

Children  in  scholastic  census 8,492  19,112 

Children  enrolled  in  city  schools  7,253  12,868 

Number  of  school  buildings 16  26 

Number  of  school  rooms 107  299 

Number  of  teachers  147  325 

Pupils  in  white  high  school 544  1,018 

Value  of  all  school  property  $430,250  $1,000,000 

In  addition  to  its  splendid  public  schools  Houston  has  a 
number  of  denominational  and  private  schools.  The  Academy 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  and  St.  Agnes  Academy,  both  owned  and 
controlled  by  the  Catholics  are  high-grade  preparatory  schools 
and  have  been  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The  Barnett 
school  is  a  first-class  academy  for  boys,  and  the  Misses  Waldo 
have  built  up  in  Westmoreland  a  select  school  for  girls  that  is 
in  high  repute.  There  are  other  private  schools  of  repute  and 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  teaches  night  classes  in  many  subjects  that  are 
giving  valuable  training  to  those  unable  or  unqualified  to  attend 
the  public  schools.  Two  business  colleges,  Draughan's  and 
Massey's  colleges  do  a  flourishing  business  and  there  is  a  dental 
school  that  gives  special  training  in  dental  surgery  and  confers 
the  degree  of  D.  D.  S.,  on  its  graduates. 

At  the  several  hospitals  and  the  bacteriological  department 
of  the  city  hall  laboratory  work  and  studies  in  microscopy  are 


190  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

carried  on.  Nothing  more  is  attempted  in  this  work  in  regard  to 
the  private  schools  than  to  mention  several  of  the  more  prominent 
of  them.  The  greatest  educational  enterprise  in  Houston,  the 
Rice  Institute  is  unique  in  history  and  character  and  will  be 
treated  in  a  separate  chapter. 

The  district  schools  of  Harris  County  were  organized  in 
1884  under  the  jurisdiction  and  management  of  the  county  judge 
and  commissioners  court,  composed  of  Hon.  E.  P.  Hamblen, 
Frank  S.  Burke,  Robert  Blalock,  H.  C.  Throckmorton  and  George 
Ellis.  The  county  was  divided  into  30  school  districts  which 
number  has  been  increased  to  52. 

L.  F.  Smith  was  the  first  superintendent.  Henry  B.  Cline 
and  B.  L.  James  also  served  prior  to  the  election  of  Professor  L. 
L.  Pugh,  who  has  served  for  the  past  nine  years,  and  under  his 
jurisdiction  the  county  schools  have  reached  their  present  high 
plane  as  indicated  by  the  following  statistics  taken  from  his 
annual  report  of  August  3,  1911 : 

There  were  then  161  teachers  employed,  10  male  and  151 
female,  and  the  scholastic  population  was  6,177.  There  were 
82  school  buildings  for  white  schools  and  31  for  colored,  of  which 
18  were  brick  and  95  frame,  with  a  total  valuation  of  $262,000. 
The  amount  paid  to  teachers  was  $60,530.  "W.  G.  Smiley,  J.  S. 
Deady,  R.  L.  Robinson,  Dr.  L.  C.  Hanna  and  Dr.  E.  E.  Grant 
compose  the  present  Harris  County  Board  of  Education. 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  Rice  Institute 


Houston's  Inheritance  Through  a  Tragedy.  The  Story  of  a 
Famous  Crime.  A  Princely  Gift.  A  Biography  of  William 
M.  Rice.  The  Initial  Donation.  A  Continuating  Benevo- 
lence. The  Monument  to  the  Childless  Man.  William  M. 
Rice  as  Philanthropist  and  Business  Man.  Dr.  Edgar  Odell 
Lovett  elected  President  of  the  Institute.  Laying  the  Corner 
Stone.  The  City's  Dominant  Institution. 


Inheriting  through  a  tragedy,  on  Sunday  evening,  September 
23,  1900,  at  7  :30  o  'clock,  the  people  of  the  city  of  Houston  became 
the  legal  heir  of  a  kind,  old  man,  and  as  the  beneficiaries  of  his 
bounty  became  rightfully  entitled  to  about  $4,000,000  which  had 
been  set  aside  for  educational  purposes,  to  be  administered  by 
trustees  in  behalf  of  Houston's  white  citizens  and  their  children. 

The  donor,  dying  at  that  hour  at  the  hand  of  his  trusted 
body  servant,  was  truly  the  victim  of  his  generosity  to  the 
people  of  Houston  and  sealed  his  gift  with  his  own  blood,  for  the 
knowledge  that  the  gift  had  been  made,  led,  according  to 
testimony  credited  by  the  highest  courts,  to  one  of  the  most 
gigantic  conspiracies  in  modern  criminology's  annals,  having  as 
its  purpose  the  spoilation  of  the  city  of  its  inheritance  and  of  the 
aged  man  of  his  life. 

The  life  of  the  giver  was  lost,  and  that  the  gift  was  not  lost 
to  its  beneficiaries  was  due  to  one  of  those  strange  chapters  of 
coincidences  that  form  the  romance  of  the  history  of  crime  and 
appal  the  stoutest  hearts  with  the  conviction  that  there  is  some 
strange  mechanism  of  fate,  providence  or  chance  that  uncovers 
the  skillfully  concealed  traces  of  felony  and  by  the  seeming  acci- 
dent of  insignificant  detail  exposes  one  of  the  joined  links  of  the 


192  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

chain  of  crime  by  which  its  whole  buried  length  is  dragged  out  to 
the  garish  light  of  day. 

The  omission  of  a  single  letter  in  a  proper  name  written  on 
a  check,  cost  the  owner  of  that  name  a  fortune  of  millions, 
branded  him  as  a  murderer,  and  incarcerated  him  under  sentence 
of  death  in  a  grim  New  York  penitentiary.  Because  the  letter 
"1"  was  left  out  of  the  given  name  of  Albert  T.  Patrick,  a  sus- 
picion was  aroused  that  developed  into  a  legal  certainty  and  put 
the  owner  of  that  name  behind  the  bars,  under  sentence  for  mur- 
der, and,  as  a  corollary,  permitted  Houston  to  inherit  a  school 
endowment  wThose  assets  are  now  nearly  ten  million  dollars. 

The  man  who  died  under  a  chloroform  soaked  sponge,  held 
in  a  towel  cone  over  his  sleeping  face,  was  William  M.  Rice,  and 
he  was  84  years  old  when  he  was  murdered  in  his  bed  at  the 
Berkshire  apartments  at  500  Madison  Avenue,  New  York  City 
by  his  only  companion,  his  valet,  Charles  Jones.  While  the  aged 
man  was  dying  two  old  ladies,  his  friends,  were  ringing  the  bell 
at  the  door  of  his  apartments  where  they  had  come  with  gifts  of 
cake  and  wine  for  their  sick  friend.  Inside  the  ante-room  the 
murderer  crouched,  uncertain  in  his  own  mind  whether  it  was 
the  door  bell  that  was  clamoring  or  whether  it  was  the  loud 
alarm  of  his  frightened  conscience  that  called  him  to  remove 
the  death  dealing  cone  from  the  face  of  his  dying  master. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  to  tell  here  the  story  of  that  crime. 
Its  details  make  it  one  of  the  causes  celebre  of  criminal  history. 
With  the  possible  exception  of  the  Thaw  case  the  crime  has 
attracted  more  publicity  and  been  given  more  newspaper  space 
than  any  other  that  ever  happened  in  America  where  the  victim 
was  only  a  private  citizen.  The  valet,  Jones,  who  actually  com- 
mitted the  act  of  murder  according  to  his  own  tale,  was  allowed 
to  go  free  of  justice,  and  the  lawyer,  Albert  T.  Patrick,  accused 
of  planning  it,  after  a  sensational  trial  and  a  brilliant  defense 
conducted  before  the  higher  courts  by  himself,  was  convicted  of 
murder  and  is  today  a  life  prisoner  at  Sing-Sing,  the  death 
penalty  having  been  commuted  by  executive  clemency.  There 
is  hardly  a  detail  of  that  trial  that  is  not  in  dispute,  but  the 
jury  that  convicted  and  the  courts  that  affirmed  accepted  the 
following  as  true  facts : 


The  Rice  Institute  193 

That  Patrick  was  personally  unknown  to  W.  M.  Rice,  and 
that  he  was  hated  by  the  latter  because  of  hostile  litigation  in 
which  Patrick  had  been  engaged. 

That  Patrick  met  and  corrupted  Jones,  and  through  Jones 
learned  of  the  habits  of  the  old  man,  of  his  few  friends,  of  his 
break  with  his  relatives,  and  of  the  fact  that  he  had  by  a  will 
of  1896  donated  the  bulk  of  his  property  to  the  William  M.  Rice 
Institute  of  Houston,  Texas. 

That  Patrick  conspired  with  Jones  to  forge  a  will  of  later 
date  increasing  the  legacies  to  all  the  beneficiaries  of  the  old  will, 
and  leaving  legacies  to  every  person  with  a  claim  on  the  estate 
but  leaving  the  bulk  of  the  fortune  to  Patrick  instead  of  the 
Houston  Institute.  The  old  will  was  to  be  left  in  existence  to 
prevent  relatives  trying  to  break  the  new  one  as  all  inherited 
more  largely  under  the  bogus  than  the  true  will.  Patrick  was 
made  administrator  of  the  will  and  forged  a  power  of  attorney, 
bogus  checks  for  sums  in  banks  aggregating  some  $250,000,  and 
all  papers  necessary  to  enable  him  to  enter  into  complete  and 
immediate  possession  of  the  fortune  of  William  M.  Rice  on  the 
death  of  the  latter.  All  these  papers  together  with  a  series  of 
letters  from  Rice  to  Patrick  in  which  Patrick  was  made  to  appear 
as  a  trusted  legal  counsellor,  were  in  evidence  to  show  motive  for 
the  crime. 

Particularly  damning  in  its  effect  was  a  letter  purporting  to 
be  from  Rice  to  Patrick  asking  that  the  body  of  the  writer  be 
cremated  immediately  on  death  and  expressing  a  horror  of 
burial  and  embalming.  This  letter  gave  opportunity  for  immedi- 
ate disposition  of  the  body. 

On  Sunday,  September  16,  1900,  the  plant  of  the  merchants 
and  Planters  Oil  Company  at  Houston  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
W.  M.  Rice  owned  75  per  cent  of  the  stock  and  letters  came  dur- 
ing the  week  asking  that  he  furnish  $250,000  to  rebuild.  This 
would  utilize  the  supply  of  ready  cash  in  the  banks  and  the 
expressed  intention  of  W.  M.  Rice  to  send  all  or  a  part  of  this 
money  on  Monday,  September  24,  is  believed  to  have  forced  his 
death  on  Sunday. 

Following  that  death,  and  before  announcing  it,  Patrick  and 


194  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Jones  took  possession  of  all  the  papers  of  the  dead  man  including 
both  wills,  the  alleged  forgery  bearing  date  of  June  3,  1900.  Some 
of  the  checks  were  cashed  and  attempts  to  cash  another  caused 
the  discovery  of  the  misspelled  name.  By  chance,  if  chance  it 
be,  this  check  was  shown  to  Walter  H.  Wetherbee,  a  clerk  in 
Swensen  's  private  bank  and  the  man  who  was  one  of  the  witnesses 
to  the  will  of  1896.  Wetherbee  remembered  that  Patrick  had 
suggested  to  him,  in  tentative  fashion  at  least,  a  proposition  for 
a  bogus  will,  signed  by  the  original  witnesses,  and  at  once  sus- 
pected that  W.  M.  Rice  was  dead.  Jones,  on  being  telephoned 
to,  said  that  the  check,  which  was  for  $25,000,  was  all  right,  but 
admitted  that  Mr.  Rice  was  dead  and  that  he  had  notified  the 
doctor  and  Mr.  Patrick. 

Telegrams  from  Houston,  signed  by  Attorney  James  A. 
Baker  and  Mr.  F.  A.  Rice,  a  brother  to  the  dead  man,  forced  a 
delay  in  the  cremation  of  the  body  which  Patrick  then  ordered 
embalmed.  Later  an  autopsy  was  held  and  a  congested  condition 
of  the  lungs  discovered  such  as  would  result  from  chloroform. 

When  Messrs.  Baker  and  Rice  arrived  from  Texas,  Patrick 
weakened  gradually  and  finally,  after  offering  to  give  the  Rice 
Institute  $3,000,000  or  $5,000,000  or  any  sum  Mr.  Baker  might 
name,  relinquished  all  control  of  the  papers  of  William  M.  Rice 
and  agreed  to  the  probate  of  the  will  of  1896.  Later  he  was  tried 
and  convicted  of  murder,  on  the  corroborative  circumstantial 
evidence  and  the  confession  of  Jones  who  swore  the  crime  was 
instigated  by  Patrick. 

In  the  American  Magazine  of  May,  1907,  Lion.  Arthur  Train, 
then  assistant  district  attorney  of  New  York  County,  tells  in 
strikingly  dramatic  fashion  the  story  of  the  discovery  of  the 
links  of  circumstantial  evidence  and  graphically  presents  the 
case  of  the  state  in  narrative  form. 

Patrick  has  constantly  maintained  his  innocence  and  insists 
that  a  thrice  perjured,  self-confessed  murderer  such  as  valet 
Jones,  is  unworthy  of  any  credence.  The  conviction  of  Patrick 
and  the  setting  aside  as  forgeries  of  the  alleged  will  of  June  30, 
1900,  giving  the  estate  to  Patrick,  left  the  Rice  estate  to  the  people 
of  Houston. 


The  Rice  Institute  195 

The  manner  of  the  death  of  William  M.  Rice  and  the  dra- 
matic litigation  that  followed  it,  have  absorbed  public  attention 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  study  of  the  character  of  the  reserved, 
quiet  and  solitary  man  whose  generosity  is  to  bear  such  rich 
and  abundant  fruit. 

William  Marsh  Rice,  as  the  donor  of  a  fund  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  institute  for  the  advancement  of  literature,  science 
and  art,  for  a  public  library  and  a  great  polytechnic  school,  stands 
without  a  rival, as  Houston's  greatest  philanthropist.  The  insti- 
tute now  being  built  will  take  the  form  of  a  great  university  with 
emphasis  on  the  practical  arts  and  sciences.  The  endowment 
gifts  of  William  Marsh 'Rice  aggregate  at  present  $9,450,000  at 
cautious  and  conservative  estimates  made  in  September,  1911,  by 
the  board  of  trustees.  The  great,  distinctive  school  the  endow- 
ment will  create  will  be  without  alliance  with  or  dependence  on 
either  church  or  state. 

The  man  who  gave  this  princely  gift  in  perpetuity  to  the 
white  citizens  of  Houston  and  their  children,  was  one  of  the 
earliest  inhabitants  of  the  city. 

Family  records  would  indicate  that  he  came  to  Houston  in 
1838,  when  the  city  was  little  more  than  a  year  old.  He  was  a 
native  of  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and  was  born  in  1819,  com- 
ing from  Springfield  to  Texas  as  a  young  man  with  a  load  of 
merchandise  on  a  sailing  vessel.  He  was  defrauded  of  most  of  his 
stock  by  a  sharper  on  reaching  Galveston  and  wrote  to  his  father 
about  the  occurrence.  The  father  urged  him  to  come  home  but  the 
young  man  proudly  replied  that  he  would  never  return  until  he 
brought  back  with  him  more  money  than  he  took  away. 

In  Houston  he  conducted  a  merchandise  -business  on  Main 
Street  near  the  site  of  the  Houston  Land  and  Trust  Company's 
office  building.  His  first  store  was  a  tent.  His  early  stock  of 
goods  is  said  to  have  been  largely  brogan  shoes  and  bandana 
handkerchiefs.  When  he  had  built  a  little  store  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  cook  his  own  meals,  work  all  day  in  the  s.tore  and  sleep 
on  the  counter  at  night.  Constantly  he  invested  his  earnings 
and  savings  in  Houston  and  Texas  property. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  his  sympathies  were  with  the 


196  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

North  and  he  went  to  Mexico,  remaining  there  until  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  struggle,  when  he  returned  to  Houston  where  his 
opinions  were  known  and  respected.  After  the  war  he  became 
a  director  and  the  financial  agent  of  the  H.  &  T.  C.  Railroad, 
with  headquarters  in  New  York  City  for  convenience  in  making 
purchases.  Thereafter  his  home  was  in  the  North  but  it  was  his 
habit  to  come  to  Houston  every  year  and  spend  the  winter 
months  here.  He  was  always  deeply  intero^'-od  in  PI  oust  on  affairs 
and  invested  in  its  enterprises,  being  one  of  the  stockholders  in 
the  first  electric  light  company  ever  formed  here,  but  he  did  not 
like  to  hold  corporate  offices  of  any  kind.  Those  living  who  knew 
him,  knew  him  as  young  men  know  old  men.  They  describe  him 
as  a  man  very  quiet,  dignified  and  reserved,  chary  of  speech  but 
stimulating  deep  interest  by  the  remarks  he  made,  a  close  student 
of  men  whom  he  sometimes  embarrassed  by  his  pointed  scrutiny, 
but  making  few  friends  and  few  acquaintances. 

In  manner  he  was  cold,  icy,  unapproachable,  but  the  few 
men  to  whom  he  gave  his  friendship  discovered  that  he  would 
go  his  full  length  in  their  behalf  and  that  there  was  no  exhaust- 
ing his  friendship.  One  of  these  friends  was  Sam  Houston.  On 
the  occasion  of  a  political  campaign  in  which  Houston  was  inter- 
ested he  was  shown  the  list  of  subscribers  and  said:  "Billy  Rice's 
name  ought  to  be  here." 

"General,  he  will  not  give  anything." 

' '  Oh,  yes  he  will ;  he  will  give  $100. ' '  General  Houston  then 
went  to  see  his  friend,  finding  him  in  the  store.  The  conversation 
was  very  stately :  ' '  Good  morning,  William,  good  morning ;  are 
you  very  busy  this  morning?" 

' '  Well,  General,  we  always  find  something  to  do,  always  find 
something  to  do." 

"William,  we  are  going  to  have  a  very  interesting  campaign 
this  fall  and  we  shall  need  some  money." 

"Well,  General,  you  know  business  has  been  very  dull,  and 
collections  have  been  very  bad,  quite  bad,  General. ' ' 

"Yes,  William,  but  I  have  put  you  down  on  the  list  for 
$100." 

"Well,  General,  I  could  not  possibly  pay  any  more  than  that, 


The  Rice  Institute  197 

certainly  not  any  more  than  that ;  but,  General,  if  you  feel  you 
need  that  much  I  shall  have  to  spare  it  to  you." 

Owing  to  Houston's  friendship  Mr.  Rice  is  said  to  have 
secured  a  contract  to  carry  the  mails  between  Houston  and 
Austin,  which  mail  route  was  one  of  his  early  enterprises. 

So  unapproachable  was  the  manner  of  Wm.  M.  Rice  that  men 
were  often  afraid  to  solicit  contributions  from  him.  On  one 
occasion  a  carpet  was  needed  for  a  church  and  the  committee 
asked  him  for  a  contribution  to  help  buy  the  carpet.  He  refused 
to  help,  but  after  the  committee  had  gone,  sent  a  clerk,  had  the 
church  measured  and  as  his  own  gift  sent  a  beautiful  carpet 
and  one  more  costly  than  they  had  hoped  to  buy. 

The  first  intimation  of  an  intention  to  give  Houston  a  library 
and  school  was  made  in  similar  fashion.  In  1890  Houston  was 
in  great  need  of  school  facilities.  Some  of  the  citizens  conceived 
the  plan  of  securing  subscriptions  to  aggregate  $100,000  to  build 
a  high  school. 

Mr.  E.  Raphael,  then  a  member  of  the  city  school  board,  who 
had  known  Mr.  Rice  since  1868,  approached  him  for  a  subscrip- 
tion. He  told  him  the  Houston  Academy  was  falling  down,  that 
the  city  had  no  money  and  that  a  school  was  needed.  In  a  man- 
ner almost  curt  Mr.  Rice  said  abruptly :  "I  will  not  give  a  cent. 
It  is  the  city's  business  to  build  its  schools,  not  that  of  private 
individuals.  But  I  am  going  to  establish  an  educational  institute 
to  be  built  after  my  death.  I  will  give  my  note  for  $200,000  to 
start  it  and  I  want  you  to  be  one  of  the  trustees. ' '  This  bolt  from 
the  blue  was  the  first  intimation  to  anyone  that  Mr.  Rice  had 
any  such  idea.  He  asked  Mr.  Raphael  to  notify  other  trustees. 
They  were  not  selected  all  at  once  but  one  name  at  a  time  with 
an  interval  of  perhaps  a  week  or  a  month  between  each  selection. 
The  original  board  of  trustees  was  William  M.  Rice  of  New  York 
City,  and  F.  A.  Rice,  James  A.  Baker,  Jr.,  E.  Raphael,  C.  Lom- 
bardi,  J.  E.  McAshan  and  A.  S.  Richardson,  all  of  Houston. 

Of  this  number  William  M.  Rice,  F.  A.  Rice  and  A.  S. 
Richardson  are  dead  and  have  been  succeeded  by  William  M.  Rice, 
Jr.,  B.  B.  Rice,  and  Dr.  E.  0.  Lovett. 

The  initial  gift  of  $200,000  was  made  in  the  form  of  a  note, 


History  of  Houston,  Texas 

dated  May  13,  1891,  bearing  interest  at  the  rate  of  2%  per  cent 
annually,  and  payable  at  the  death  of  the  donor.  This  was 
given  to  the  trustees  who  were  selected  for  life  and  given  power 
to  elect  members  to  fill  vacancies  as  they  might  occur.  These 
trustees  were  given  plenary  power  over  the  fund  with  such  addi- 
tions as  might  be  made  to  it,  with  instructions  to  do  nothing 
except  care  for  the  money  so  long  as  Mr.  Rice  himself  might  be 
alive.  He  was  himself  one  of  the  trustees  and  his  dictum  as  to  an 
investment  of  the  fund  or  disposition  of  it  in  a  business  way  was 
conclusive. 

It  became  the  habit  of  Mr.  Rice  to  make  some  additional 
donation  to  this  endowment  fund  each  year.  In  1892  he  gave 
10,000  acres  of  agricultural  land  in  Jones  County,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  gave  50,000  acres  of  pine  timber  lands  in  Louisi- 
ana. The  timber  rights  on  these  pine  lands  were  sold  by  the 
trustees  in  1911  for  a  sum  aggregating  over  $4,000,000,  while 
the  title  to  the  land  itself  was  retained. 

In  1894,  Mr.  Rice  deeded  to  the  fund  the  Rice  Hotel  property 
and  a  tract  of  land  on  Louisiana  Street  of  about  12  acres,  known 
as  the  Rice  Institute  tract.  At  that  time  both  the  donor  and  the 
trustees  expected  that  the  buildings  of  the  institute  would  be 
erected  on  this  tract  of  land.  Other  gifts  followed,  so  that  at 
the  time  of  his  death  property  then  estimated  in  value  at 
$1,500,000,  had  been  donated  to  the  institute. 

By  bequest  of  his  true  will  the  institute  was  named  as  resid- 
uary legatee  of  his  entire  fortune  although  bequests  to  his  rela- 
tives and  others  aggregated  several  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  property  going  to  his  estate  at  his  death  was  variously  estim- 
ated at  from  $3,000,000  to  $4,000,000.  This  endowment,  accord- 
ing to  the  estimate  made  by  the  trustees  in  the  fall  of  1911,  is 
now  worth  $9,450,000.  These  figures  are  regarded  as  being  very 
conservative. 

To  Mr.  Raphael  and  to  other  members  of  the  trustees  and 
to  relatives,  Mr.  Rice  several  times  remarked  that  he  had  made 
his  fortune  in  Houston  and  that  he  wanted  to  leave  the  institution 
as  a  monument,  the  endowment  to  go  on  for  all  time  to  come  as  a 
perpetual  supply  fund  for  its  needs.  At  one  time  he  thought 


The  Rice  Institute  199 

of  making  the  gift  to  Dunellen,  New  Jersey,  where  he  owned  a 
home,  but  patriotism  and  memories  of  the  early  days  in  Houston, 
the  days  of  hardship  and  struggle,  the  days  of  his  youth  and 
his  ambition  and  his  hope,  fixed  his  choice  on  the  town  to  which 
he  had  come  as  a  pioneer  in  almost  the  first  year  of  its  existence. 

When  the  announcement  was  first  made  in  Houston  that  the 
institute  was  to  be  given,  the  citizens  were  enthusiastic  in  their 
praise.  J.  S.  Rice,  a  nephew,  then  a  young  man,  said:  "Uncle 
William,  the  people  are  saying  lots  of  nice  things  about  you  and 
your  gift. ' '  The  old-  man  hesitated,  then  said  ' '  Jo,  your  father 
has  a  monument  in  his  boys.  I  have  no  children."  It  was  the 
warm  yearning  in  the  heart  of  the  childless  man  that  men  called 
cold,  to  be  remembered  in  his  home  town,  and  the  children  of 
his  fellow  citizens  will,  for  countless  generations,  perchance, 
drink  at  the  fountain  of  learning  that  the  childless  man  left 
as  a  monument. 

William  M.  Rice  was  not  himself  a  well  educated  man,  but 
he  was  profoundly  imbued  with  a  sense  of  education's  value 
and  desired  that  the  children  of  the  brave  pioneer  generatior 
should  not  lack  the  best  and  most  effective  sort  of  education. 

He  had  very  decided  ideas  as  to  what  constituted  ap  educa- 
tion and  wanted  those  things  taught  most  that  would  not  leave 
the  graduate  with  a  feeling  of  being  helpless  and  stranded  with 
no  trade,  occupation  or  craft.  He  believed  in  educating  the 
hand  as  much  as  the  head  and  wanted  the  students  at  the  school 
he  gave  to  be  in  position  to  exploit  the  resources  of  their  state, 
and  to  stand  at  the  head  of  its  crafts  as  well  as  professions,  to 
be  able  to  get,  with  capable,  trained  hands  and  heads,  the  treasures 
from  mines,  forests  and  prairies,  and  hence  the  polytechnic  fea- 
ture of  the  school  will  always  be  emphasized  in  accordance  with 
the  wish  of  its  founder,  although  its  scope  has  already  grown 
beyond  the  fondest  dreams  of  the  founder,  and  its  character  and 
work  will  give  it  full  university  rank  among  the  educational 
institutions  of  America. 

So  the  heart  of  William  M.  Rice  remained  in  Houston  until 
his  death,  yes  and  will  remain  here  in  active  benevolence  for  as 


200  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

long  as  one  may  dare  to  look  into  the  future  or  to  prophesy  as  to 
its  happenings. 

Among  other  gifts  to  the  institute  was  an  art  collection,  now 
insured  for  $50,000,  which  was  made  by  Mr.  Rice  and  by  friends 
at  his  instance.  Art,  it  will  be  noted,  was  one  of  the  things  that 
was  to  be  "  advanced ' '  by  the  institute.  The  pictures  in  the  col- 
lection are  well  chosen  and  some  of  them  are  of  rare  artistic 
jnerit.  William  M.  Rice  had  an  eye  for  the  beautiful,  and  the 
charter,  that  sets  out  the  scope  of  the  institution  on  which  he 
collaborated  when  it  was  drawn  up,  mentions  Art  together  with 
Literature  and  Science  as  one  of  the  things  in  which  education  is 
to  be  given. 

To  the  personal  characteristics  of  William  M.  Rice,  that  have 
been  noted  should  be  added  the  fact  that  he  enjoyed  exception- 
ally good  health,  was  a  student  of  hygenics,  advocated  open  air 
exercises     and  a  careful    diet,    drank    nothing    alcoholic    and 
abstained  even  from  tea  and  coffee,  as  well  as  from  all  greasy  foods. 
He  lived  largely  on  cereals  and  fruit,  ate  very  little  meat  and  did 
not  use  tobacco  in  any  form.    He  was  a  close  trader  and  did  not 
take  undue  advantage  but  made  close  contracts  in  good  faith,  was 
scrupulous  to  live  up  to  them,  and  rigidly  demanded  that  others 
do  the  same.     Mr.  Rice  was  regarded  as  a  hard  man  but  Mr. 
Arthur  B.  Cohn,  who  was  his  secretary  f er.  many  years,  and  has 
been  the  business  manager  of  the  Rice  Institute  since  Mr.  Rice's 
death,  says  that  Mr.  Rice  gave  much  to  poor  people  where  it  was 
found  they  merited  it,  and  that  he  never  refused  to  furnish  the 
amount   necessary   to   erect   independent   school   houses   in   the 
county,  and  that  he  often  helped  young  men  of  ambition  to  secure 
an  education.     He  detested  notoriety  in  connection  with  any 
charity  and  absolute  secrecy  was  enjoined  on  his  secretary  and  on 
the  recipients  of  all  his  gifts.     He  was  not  a  society  man,  and 
only  in  business  developed  any  sociability.    He  was  not  a  church 
member  but  was  a  subscriber  to  the  Christ  Church  and  to  other 
congregations.     The  story  of  his  early  business  life  is  one  of 
struggle  during  which  he  occupied  humble  positions.     He  never 
squandered  money  and  never  sold  property  that  came  into  his 
possession,  save  under  extraordinary  circumstances.     After  he 


The  Rice  Institute  201 

made  a  business  success  he  financed  the  H.  E.  &  W.  T.  Railroad 
and  was  one  of  its  largest  stockholders.  He  was  one  of,  the 
organizers  of  the  H.  &  T.  C.  stage  line  to  Hempstead  that  pre- 
ceded the  railroad.  He  was  one  of  the  original  organizers  of 
the  Townsite  Development  Company  that  built  and  developed 
towns  along  the  line  of  the  H.  &  T.  C.  road  between  Houston  and 
Dallas.  He  financed  various  lumber  mills  and  was  one  of  the 
first  promoters  of  brick  manufacturing  in  Houston.  He  was  the 
partner  of  H..B.  Rice  in  the  ownership  of  the  Rice  ranch  of 
9,500  acres  about  6  to  9  miles  west  of  Houston,  today  known  as 
Westmoreland  Farms  and  Bellaire^  He  engaged  in  soap  manu- 
facturing in  Houston  in  the  early  90 's.  He  was  one  of  the  main 
stockholders  and  largely  financed  the  Merchants  and  Planters 
Oil  Mill  and  was  a  heavy  stockholder  in  Houston's  early  banks. 
His  estate  is  one  of  the  largest  individual  stockholders  in  the 
South  Texas  National  Bank,  this  stock  being  on^  of  the  assets  of 
the  institute.  It  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Houston  Land  and 
Trust  Company.  In  1881  and  1882,  Mr.  Rice  financed  the  build- 
ing of  the  Rice  Hotel  which  he  described  as  "a  wild  pig"  of  an 
enterprise.  Mr.  Rice's  early  residence  was  located  in  the  present 
postoffice  block. 

Having  once  invested  he  never  looked  backward.  If  any 
investment  he  made  proved  to  be  a  loss,  he  never  complained, 
never  even  referred  to  the  matter.  He  had  great  personal 
courage  and  a  high  sense  of  honor  and  admired  these  traits 
in  other  men.  It  was  his  courage  that  caused  him  to  live  si  one 
in  New  York  with  his  valet,  against  the  remonstrances  or  his 
friends.  During  the  latter  years  of  his  life  the  reticence  and 
self  sufficiency  of  William  Marsh  Rice  had  caused,  to  some  extent, 
an  estrangement  with  relatives,  but  it  was  an  estrangement  almost 
without  bitterness. 

The  first  wife  of  W.  M.  Rice  was  Maggie  Bremond,  eldest 
daughter  of  Paul  Bremond  and  his  second  wife  was  Elizabeth 
Baldwin  of  the  famous  family  of  first  settlers.  His  brother, 
F.  A.  Rice,  married  Charlotte  Baldwin  of  the  same  family.  W. 
M.  Rice  had  several  sisters  and  other  relatives  in  his  birthplace 
in  Springfield,  Massachusetts.  One  of  these  sisters,  Mrs.  McKee, 
survived  him,  but  died  a  few  years  ago. 


202  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

The  ashes  of  William  M.  Rice  are  in  Houston  in  the  vault  of 
the  Institute  in  the  Commercial  Bank  Building.  They  will  be 
transferred  to  a  place  of  honor  in  the  Administration  Building 
of  the  Institute  when  it  is  completed. 

Portraits  of  William  M.  Rice  and  of  Elizabeth  Baldwin 
Rice,  painted  by  Boris  Bernhardt  Gordon,  will  also  occupy  places 
of  honor  in  the  institute  he  founded. 

In  1907,  Edgar  Odell  Lovett,  M.A.,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  a  pro- 
fessor of  astronomy  at  Princeton  was  chosen  president  of  the 
institute.  Doctor  Lovett,  who  is  a  noted  scholar,  toured  the 
world  studying  the  educational  institutions  in  all  lands  prepar- 
atory to  making  plans  for  the  Rice  Institute. 

Work  on  the  Administration  Building  and  two  laboratories 
was  begun  in  1910.  The  site  of  the  institute  is  on  the  Main 
Street  road  about  three  miles  from  the  city.  The  tract  chosen 
covers  more  than  300  acres  and  will  be  greatly  beautified. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  Administration  Building  was  laid 
by  the  trustees  at  noon  on  March  2,  1911,  .the  75th  anniversary 
of  Texas  independence.  The  seven  members  of  the  board  were 
present.  The  ceremonies  were  of  the  simplest  kind.  Captain 
James  Baker,  president  of  the  board,  set  the  huge  stone  in  place, 
using  a  silver  trowel  made  in  Houston,  and  thus  inscribed: 

' '  With  this  trowel  the  trustees  of  the  W»i.lliam  M.  Rice  Insti- 
tute laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  institute  on  the  second  day  of 
March,  1911.  J.  A.  Baker,  W.  M.  Rice,  Jr.,  J.  E.  McAshan, 
B.  B.  Rice,  C.  Lombardi,  E.  Raphael,  and  E.  0.  Lovett." 

E.  Raphael,  secretary  of  the  board,  deposited  in  the  recep- 
tacle in  the  stone  certain  records  of  interest  to  Houston  and  to 
the  institute.  These  records  were  sealed  in  a  copper  box,  on  the 
face  of  which  was  the  following  legend  engraved  in  script: 

"This  box  was  deposited  in  the  corner-stone  of  the  Adm'ii- 
istration  Building  of  the  William  M.  Rice  Institute  on  the 
second  day  of  March,  1911,  the  day  of  the  laying  of  the  stone." 

Within  the  box  were  placed  a  copy  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  Scriptures  of  the  King  James  translation ;  the  charter 
of  the  Institute,  transcribed  on  parchment,  and  a  brief  biography 
of  William  M.  Rice,  the  founder  of  the  Institute  and  short 


The  Rice  Institute  203 

sketches  of  the  careers  of  the  several  gentlemen  who  have  served 
as  trustees  of  the  foundation;  a  photograph,  mounted  on  linen, 
of  the  plans  for  developing  the  site  and  buildings  of  the  insti- 
tute, prepared  by  the  architects ;  a  copy  of  the  Houston  Chronicle 
of  January  12,  1911,  and  a  copy  of  the  Houston  Daily  Post  Of 
January  18,  1911.  The  several  sketches  referred  to  include 
notices  of  the  late  F.  A.  Rice  and  A.  S.  Richardson,  who,  with 
the  founder  and  Messrs.  Baker,  McAshan,  Lombardi  and  Raphael, 
were  charter  members  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  institute. 
The  carving  of  the  inscription  on  the  stone  was  deferred  until 
after  the  settling  of  the  stone  in  its  place.  It  is  a  quotation  from 
the  Praeparatio  E vangelica  of  Enselbius  Pamphili,  the  earliest 
historian  of  the  church.  Rendered  into  English,  it  reads: 
"  'Rather,'  said  Demeritus,  'would  I  discover  the  causes  of  one 
fact  than  become  king  of  the  Persians.'  '  A  declaration  made 
by  the  Greek  philosopher  at  a  time  when  to  be  king  of  the 
Persians  was  to  rule  the  world. 

In  appropriating  this  expression  of  the  spirit  of  science 
from  a  representative  philosopher  of  that  people  who  originated 
the  highest  standards  in  letters  and  in  art,  the  trustees  of  the 
institute  sought  to  express  that  devotion  to  both  science  and 
humanism  which  the  founder  desired  when  he  dedicated  this 
institute  to  the  advancement  of  literature,  science  and  art. 

A  description  of  the  architecture  of  the  proposed  institute 
will  be  found  in  the  chapter  on  Architecture  and  Building.  Dr. 
Lovett  and  the  trustees  have  not  yet  announced  the  personnel 
of  the  faculty  of  the  new  university  but  it  is  announced  that  it 
will  be  open  for  students  at  the  beginning  of  the  fall  term  of 
1912.  The  cost  of  the  first  group  of  buildings  will  be  about 
$1,000,000  and  about  half  of  that  amount  has  been  spent  in 
further  beautifying  the  grounds  by  landscape  architecture  and 
gardening. 

The  future  of  Houston  will  be  dominated  to  a  great  degree 
by  the  Rice  Institute  and  it  will  give  to  the  city  the  academic 
charm  and  tone  that  is  greatly  needed  to  relieve  the  strident 
commercialism  that  is  now  its  chief  characteristic. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Houston  Newspapers 


Story  of  First  Newspaper  in  Texas  and  its  Removal  to  Houston. 
The  Telegraph  and  Register.  The  Morning  Star.  Flood  of 
Newspaper  Enterprises  Following  Civil  War.  Special  Inter- 
est and  Trade  Periodicals  in  Houston.  The  Houston  Tele- 
gram. The  Houston  Post  Organized  and  (Suspended.  The 
New  Post.  The  Houston  Herald.  The  Chronicle  and  Its 
Makers.  Some  Famous  Newspaper  Men.  Some  Early  and 
Late  Authors  and  Writers.  Organization  of  Texas  State 
Press  Association. 


In  the  winter  of  1834,  Launcelott  Abbotts,  a  young  English- 
man, who  was  a  printer,  stopping  in  New  Orleans,  became 
acquainted  with  Mr.  T.  F.  McKinney,  a  merchant  of  Valasco 
and  a  Mr.  Fletcher,  a  merchant  of  San^  Felipe,  who  advised  him 
to  locate  in  Texas.  They  praised  the  climate  and  soil  and  dwelt 
on  the  generosity  of  the  government  in  giving  to  each  immigrant 
a  good  lot  of  land.  Those  portions  of  Mexico  then  known  as 
Coahuila  and  Texas  constituted,  for  governmental  purposes,  one 
state,  having  one  legislature  and  its  citizens  were  called  Coahuila- 
Texanos.  Mr.  Abbotts  having  superintended  the  printing  of 
Mrs.  Holley's  small  book  on  Texas,  published  in  Baltimore,  had 
a  pretty  good  knowledge  of  the  territory,  its  people,  its  resources 
and  of  its  possibilities,  so  he  took  their  advice  and  embarked 
on  a  small  schooner  for  the  mouth  of  the  Brazos  where  he 
arrived  about  Christmas.  He  was  prevented  from  landing  for 
a  day  or  two  by  adverse  winds  that  kept  the  schooner  from  cross- 
ing the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Having  landed  he  at  once 
made  his  way  to  San  Felipe,  then  the  capital  of  the  state.  Here 
he  made  the  acquaintance  of  two  men  who  were  destined  to 
have  great  inimence  over  his  caiver.  One  of  these  was 


Houston  Newspapers  205 

Gail  Borden,  then    known    as    Gail    Borden,    Jr.,    who    after- 
wards   became   famous   as   the   inventor   and  manufacturer   of 
condensed  milk  and  as  the  head  of  the  great  Borden  Dairy  Com- 
pany.   The  other  was  Joseph  Baker,  who  afterwards  also  became 
prominent  and  influential  in  Texas.     These  men  were  contem- 
plating the  establishment  of  a  newspaper  in  San  Felipe,  and, 
so  soon  as  they  learned  that  Mr.  Abbotts  was  a  practical  printer, 
they  made  a  contract  with  him  to  assist  in  its  production.     At 
that  time  there  were  no  mails  or  postoffices  in  Texas,  so  Mr. 
Abbotts  was  forced  to  return  to  Velasco,  a  hundred  miles  distant, 
to  dispatch  an  order  to  New  York  for  a  mechanical  outfit  for  the 
proposed  paper.    On  his  way  back  he  stopped  at  Brazoria,  then 
a  small  village  on  the  bank  of  the  Brazos,  where  there  was  a 
small  printing  plant  of  doubtful  value  owned  by  a  Mr.  Gray. 
This  plant  was  nearly  useless,  but  was  capable  of  being  used 
in  a  pinch.    There  was  a  well-worn  press  with  a  sheep  skin  ink- 
ball   (composition  rollers  being  unknown  at  that  time)    a  few 
fonts  of  old  type,  some  leads  and  some  wood  "furniture,"  and 
that  was  all.     Mr.  Abbotts  wanted  the  proprietor  of  this  outfit 
to  print  him  100  copies  of  a  prospectus  for  the  paper  he  pro- 
posed issuing  and  which  it  had  been  decided  was  to  be  called 
the  "Telegraph  and  Register."     This  the  proprietor  refused  to 
do,  but  finally  allowed  Mr.  Abbotts  to  do  the  work  himself,  using 
the  material  at  hand,  for  a  consideration  of  ten  dollars.     There 
was  also  an  extra  charge  for  the  paper  used  in  printing  the  cir- 
culars. 

Before  the  press  and  type  arrived  from  New  York  the  pros- 
pectus had  been  circulated  and  a  small  list  of  subscribers  had 
been  secured.  J.  L.  Hill,  of  Fayette  County  was,  perhaps,  the 
first  subscriber.  He  has  a  place  in  Texas  history  as  the  hus- 
band of  the  woman  who  plotted  the  escape  of  Santa  Anna  when 
he  was  a  prisoner  of  war  in  the  hands  of  the  Texans  at  Columbia. 
The  first  number  of  the  Telegraph  and  Register  appeared  October 
10,  1836,  "the  same  day  on  which  the  Texans  stormed  and  took 
the  fort  at  Goliad.  It  should  be  noted  that  no  other  newspaper 
was  published  in  Texas  at  that  time  or  at  any  time  during  the 
Texans'  struggle  for  independence.  Before  then  Mr. Gray,  already 


206  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

spoken  of,  had  published  a  paper  spasmodically,  and  a 
little  sheet  had  been  published  for  a  short  time  at  Nacogdoches. 
The  appearance  of  The  Telegraph  and  Register  was  of  the  great- 
est value  and  assistance  to  those  engaged  in  the  work  of  estab- 
lishing and  maintaining  the  new  republic,  since  it  enabled  them 
to  create  and  concentrate  public  thought  and  opinion,  which 
could  have  been  done  in  no  other  way  than  through  the  medium 
of  a  newspaper. 

The  pathway  of  the  new  paper  was  not  strewn  with  flowers, 
however,  and  it  had  many  obstacles  to  overcome.  Soon  after  its 
establishment,  Mr.  Baker,  the  senior  editor,  left  to  join  Sam 
Houston's  army.  Then  Mr.  Abbotts  grew  patriotic  and  did  the 
same  thing.  This  left  the  entire  responsibility  of  getting  out 
the  paper  on  the  shoulders  of  a  printer  from  Philadelphia.  Prob- 
ably 22  numbers  of  the  paper  had  been  issued  when  the  Mex- 
icans invaded  Texas.  Then  the  printer,  alarmed  by  the  approach 
of  Santa  Anna  and  his  army,  abandoned  his  post,  and,  not  hav- 
ing the  patriotism  of  Mr.  Baker  and  Mr.  Abbotts,  instead  of 
joining  the  Texas  army,  fled  to  the  United  States. 

When  General  Houston  retreated  from  the  Colorado  River, 
Thomas  H.  Borden  and  his  father,  Gail  Borden,  Sr.,  put  the 
printing  material  across  the  Brazos  at  €>ah-  Felipe  with  much 
difficulty,  for  it  was  heavy  and  transportation  facilities  were 
poor,  and  conveyed  it  to  Harrisburg.  There  they  secured  the 
help  of  a  Frenchman,  named  Bertrand,  and  a  printer  from  New 
York  who  set  up  an  issue  of  the  paper  and  had  it  on  the  press 
ready  to  publish,  when  Santa  Anna's  men  surprised  and  cap- 
tured them.  The  Mexicans  threw  the  press,  forms,  type  and 
everything  else  movable,  into  the  bayou  and  then  proceeded  to 
burn  the  town,  the  printing  office  included.  In  the  general  confla- 
gration the  homes  of  Gail  and  Thos.  Borden  were  destroyed. 
Instead  of  being  discouraged  and  disheartened,  the  Bordens  at 
once  ordered  new  material  for  their  paper  from  Cincinnati,  and 
some  time  in  August,  1836,  the  first  number  of  the  paper  printed 
after  the  war  was  issued  at  Columbia,  where  the  first  Congress  of 
the  Republic  of  Texas  met.  The  paper  bore  at  its  mast  head  the 
names  of  Gail  and  Thomas  Borden,  editors  and  proprietors. 


Houston  Newspapers  207 

Congress  decided  to  locate  the  capitol  of  Texas  at  Houston  and 
the  Bordens  moved  their  printing  plant  here  also,  in  the  spring 
of  1837. 

Houston  at  that  time  was  only  a  city  in  name  for  there  were 
only  a  few  wooden  shanties  and  most  of  these  were  incomplete. 
Gail  Borden  having  been  appointed  collector  of  customs  at 
Galveston  and  Thomas  Borden  wishing  to  retire  from  the  news- 
paper field,  they  concluded  to  dispose  of  their  newspaper  plant 
and  sold  it  to  Mr.  Jacob  Cruger  and  Dr.  Francis  Moore.  These 
gentlemen  at  once  revived  the  Telegraph,  publishing  it  at  Hous- 
ton, first  as  a  weekly,  then  as  a  tri-weekly  and  then  as  a  daily. 

In  the  first  issue  of  the  Telegraph  and  Texas  Register,  pub- 
lished in  Houston,  May  2,  1837,  was  the  following:  "The  City 
of  Houston. — This  place  is  as  yet  merely  a  city  in  embryo,  but 
the  industry,  enterprise  and  amount  of  capital  which  are  now 
ministering  to  its  greatness,  will  soon  elevate  it  to  a  prominent 
rank  among  the  cities  of  the  older  countries.  Its  situation  is 
remarkably  healthy,  being  upon  an  elevated  and  dry  prairie, 
partly  in  the  skirts  of  the  timbered  margin  of  Buffalo  Bayou. 
The  principal  objection  to  the  place  is  the  difficulty  of  access  by 
water,  the  bayou  above  Harrisburg  being  so  narrow,  so  serpen- 
tine and  so  blocked  with  snags  and  overhanging  trees  that 
immense  improvements  will  be  required  to  render  navigation 
convenient  for  large  steamboats." 

Though  the  Telegraph  was  the  first  newspaper  published 
in  Houston  of  which  definite  record  has-  been  left,  a  gentleman 
named  Thomas  Wilson  announced  through  the  columns  of  the 
Telegraph,  while  that  paper  was  still  published  at  Columbia,  that 
he  would  begin  the  publication  of  a  paper  at  Houston  to  be 
known  as  the  Texian,  on  April  21,  the  anniversary  of  the  battle 
of  San  Jacinto.  If  the  Texian  was  ever  published  no  record  of 
that  fact  is  now  preserved.  Probably  it  never  passed  the  stage 
of  the  prospective. 

"The  history  of  the  Telegraph  and  Register  is  intimately 
connected  with  the  history  of  Texas,"  declared  the  Texas  Wes- 
leyan  Banner  in  1858.  "Dr.  Francis  Moore  has  been  its  editor 
and  part  proprietor  ever  since  its  establishment  in  Houston.  It 


208  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

is  the  oldest  paper  in  Texas  and  for  years  has  nobly  battled 
with  the  various  popular  vices  peculiar  to  a  new  country,  such 
as  dueling,  gambling  and  drinking.  Dr.  Moore,  its  veteran  editor, 
is  now  its  independent  proprietor,  and  intends  devoting  its 
columns  in  future  principally  to  commercial  and  agricultural 
intelligence.  His  past  eminent  service  in  the  cause  of  Texan 
liberty  and  his  intimate  alliance  with  all  the  various  interests 
of  the  state,  together  with  his  long  experience  in  the  chair  editor- 
ial, entitle  him  to  a  liberal  patronage." 

In  1853,  Mr.  Harry  H.  Allen  became  the  editor  and  propri- 
etor of  the  Telegraph  and  continued  as  such  until  1856,  when 
the  plant  was  sold  to  Mr.  E.  H.  Gushing,  one  of  the  best  and 
most  gifted  newspaper  men  in  the  country.  He  managed  and 
edited  the  Telegraph  for  ten  years.  Mr.  Gushing  had  exception- 
al opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  his  executive  ability  and  the 
display  of  his  talent  as  an  editor,  for  during  his  administration 
the  great  Civil  War  occurred,  which  taxed  to  the  limit  the 
resources  at  hand.  Two.  great  difficulties  confronted  Mr.  Gushing. 
One  was  to  get  the  news,  for  there  were  no  mails  or  telegraph 
lines  to  transmit  it;  the  other  was  to  get  the  paper  on  which  to 
print  the  news  when  it  was  gathered.  The  first  was  overcome  by 
establishing  a  pony  express  between  Houston  and  points  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  the  second  by  using  common  wrapping 
paper,  wall  paper  or  any  other  paper  that  could  be  precured. 
One  issue  of  the  Telegraph  would  be  brown,  another  green,  to 
be  followed  in  turn  by  others  representing  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow.  Sometimes  the  paper  could  be  printed  on  one  side  only, 
because  the  flowers  and  vines  of  the  Wall-paper  on  the  other  side 
precluded  its  being  used. 

Until  they  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  early  80 's,  Mr.  E. 
B.  Gushing,  of  Houston,  son  of  Mr.  E.  H.  Gushing,  had  in  his 
possession  complete  files  of  the  Telegraph  for  the  four  years  of 
the  war.  These  were  probably  the  most  valuable  newspaper  files 
ever  owned  in  the  South.  Those  files  contained  historical  matter 
and  news  items  of  inestimable  value.  Mr.  Gushing  loaned  these 
files  to  President  Jefferson  Davis  to  use  in  the  compilation  of  his 
history  of  the  Lost  Cause.  Mr.  Davis  found  in  them  many 


Houston  Newspapers  209 

things  that  were  new  and  important  to  him,  and  when  he 
returned  the  files  to  their  owner  he  said  that  they  contained  many 
things  that  would  have  been  of  great  value  to  him  had  he  known 
them  while  he  was  president  of  the  Confederate  States. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Gushing  sold  the  Telegraph  to  Col.  C.  C. 
Gillespie,  who  was  a  man  of  great  ability  as  a  writer.  He  secured 
the  services  of  James  E.  Games  as  editorial  writer,  and 
between  the  two  the  Telegraph  was  soon  made  one  of  the  best 
literary  papers  in  the  land.  However,  too  much  attention  was 
paid  to  fine  writing  and  too  little  to  news,  and  general  interest 
soon  waned  and  the  paper  was  almost  dead  when  Colonel  Gillespie 
sold  it  to  General  Webb.  General  Webb  continued  to  issue  the 
paper  regularly  until  the  great  financial  panic  of  1873  occurred, 
when  it  was  forced  to  suspend.  The  old  paper  was  not  to 
remain  dead,  however.  The  next  year  Mr.  A.  C.  Gray  revived 
it.  In  an  editorial  of  April  16,  1874,  Mr.  Gray,  the  new  editor 
and  proprietor,  said:  "The  Houston  Telegraph  is  an  old  and 
familiar  friend  to  very  many  in  and  out  of  Texas  who  will  hail 
its  reappearance  as  the  return  of  a  much  loved  and  greatly 
lamented  companion.  Founded  in  the  days  of  the  Republic,  it 
was  true  to  the  government  and  to  the  people,  and  by  its  efforts 
accomplished,  perhaps,  as  much  as  any  other  instrumentality  in 
calling  attention  to  and  developing  the  resources  of  this  great 
commonwealth.  Under  the  control  and  guidance  of  such  men 
as  Gail  Borden,  Dr.  Francis  Moore,  Harry  Allen,  E.  H.  Cush- 
ing  and  others,  it  has  reared  for  itself  an  imperishable  monu- 
ment, by  its  fidelity  to  law,  good  government  and  general  pro- 
gress. Its  pages  contain  an  epitome  of  the  history  of  the  Lone 
Star  State,  and  reflect  the  progress  she  has  made  in  her  march 
to  greatness  *  *  *  *  It  is  with  no  ordinary  satisfaction  and,  we 
trust,  a  pardonable  pride,  that  the  present  managing  editor  and 
proprietor  refers  to  his  past  connection  with  and  present  relation 
to  the  office  of  the  Telegraph.  Twenty-eight  years  ago,  when  a 
mere  boy,  he  entered  it  as  an  apprentice.  By  patient  toil  and 
proper  pride  in  his  chosen  profession  he  became  its  business  man- 
ager during  its  most  prosperous  period.  And  when,  under  the 
financial  panic  of  1873,  it  was  forced  to  suspend  and  ceased  to 


210  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

make  its  daily  appearance  he  mourned  as  if  a  friend  had  fallen. 
Since  then  it  has  been  his  ambition  to  call  the  slumbering  Ajax 
to  the  field  again  and  bid  it  battle  with  renewed  energy  for  con- 
stitutional government,  Democratic  principles  and  the  general 
weal." 

Mr.  Gray  made  good  his  promises  for  under  his  adminis- 
tration and  guidance  the  Telegraph  soon  became  one  of  the  most 
influential  papers  in  Texas  as  well  as  in  Houston.  It  continued 
to  be  the  leading  paper  in  Houston  until  1878.  At  that  time  the 
method  of  gathering  news  had  become  so  expensive  that  a  much 
larger  sum  than  the  Telegraph  could  hope  to  earn  without  the 
most  extensive  and  costly  improvements  and  expansion,  was  an 
absolute  necessity,  and  the  Telegraph  was  forced  to  a  final  sus- 
pension of  publication. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  much  space  has  been  given  to  the 
Telegraph,  because  of  its  long  and  remarkable  record.  It  must 
not  be  supposed  that  Houston  had  no  other  papers  during  the 
existence  of  the  Telegraph.  There  were  many  others  and  some 
quite  good  ones,  too. 

In  1891,  Mr.  J.  B.  Irion,  of  Denton,  gave  the  Houston  Post 
a  copy  of  the  National  Banner  for  July  13,  1838  and  a  copy  of 
the  Daily  Times  for  April  16,  1840.  Mr.  Irion  was  the  son  of 
Hon.  R.  A.  Irion,  who  was  secretary  of  state  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas,  under  President  Houston. 

The  Banner  was  a  four  column  paper  but  the  columns  were 
wide.  The  first  page  was  devoted  to  miscellany  and  poetry,  the 
second  page  was  an  editorial,  strongly  urging  the  Republic  to 
declare  war  against  Mexico.  The  other  pages  were  filled  with 
interesting  news  items  and  advertisements.  President  Plouston 
published  a  proclamation  offering  a  reward  of  $200  for  the  cap- 
ture of  James  Aldridge,  accused  of  killing  "Billy,"  a  Choctaw 
Indian,  late  of  Nacogdoches,  and  Thomas  M.  League,  postmaster 
of  Houston,  published  a  two-column  list  of  unclaimed  letters. 
Niles  &  Company  were  proprietors  of  the  National  Banner. 

The  Daily  Times  was  edited  by  A.  M.  Lampkins.  An  early 
item  of  police  court  news  told  of  the  fining  of  an  Indian  for  riding 
his  horse  violently  through  the  streets,  and  another  was  the  recit- 


Houston  Newspapers  211 

al  of  the  ' '  cussedness ' '  and  the  consequent  trouble  of  one  ' '  Jaw- 
bone" Morris,  who  had  to  pay  $5  for  indulging  in  disorderly 
conduct. 

The  Morning  Star,  was  a  tri-weekly  paper,  first  edited  by 
James  F.  Cruger.  It  was  very  influential  in  the  days  of  the 
Republic  but  changed  editors  often.  A  valuable  but  incomplete 
file  of  this  paper  is  in  the  Carnegie  City  Library.  It  was  exten- 
sively used  in  preparing  the  earlier  chapters  of  this  book. 

In  the  early  fifties  the  fight  between  the  Democrats  and 
Know-Nothings  was  very  bitter.  Lines  were  drawn  sharply  and 
city  and  county  campaigns  were  lively  affairs.  The  Democrats 
had  the  great  advantage  of  having  the  Telegraph  on  their  side, 
while  the  Know-Nothings  had  to  disseminate  their  doctrine  by 
word  of  mouth  alone.  The  following  communication  to  the 
Telegraph,  published  October  19th,  1855,  incidentally  refers  to 
the  strife  between  the  two  parties,  while  it  gives,  in  a  nut  shell, 
the  whole  local  history  of  one  journalistic  venture  in  Houston : 

"A  New  Way  to  Start  a  Newspaper. — Messrs.  Editors— A 
few  short  weeks  ago  there  was  ushered  into  and  circulated  about 
our  city,  a  sheet  bearing  the  respectable  name  of  the  'Bayou  City 
News, '  and  on  the  front  in  bold  letters  the  motto  '  Open  to  All- 
Controlled  by  None.'  There  being  but  one  secular  paper  in  our 
city,  it  was  well  received  and  many  of  our  citizens  congratulated 
themselves  upon  its  appearance,  expecting  of  course,  from  the 
promises  and  inducements  held  out,  that  it  would  be  a  source 
of  pleasure  to  its  readers  and  reflect  credit  on  its  publishers.  It 
was  a  neutral  paper  in  politics  and  religion  and  would  advance 
the  great  commercial  and  agricultural  interests  of  our  country. 
It  puffed  every  calling,  trade  and  profession  in  our  midst;  pro- 
pounded more  interrogations  in  one  of  its  issues  than  could  have 
been  answered  in  half  a  dozen;  and  lo  and  behold!  we  got  up 
one  morning  inquiring  how  the  Bayou  City  News  was  getting 
along,  and  were  shocked  by  the  intelligence  that,  without  waiting 
long  enough  to  have  their  interrogations  answered,  they  had  sold 
themselves  to  Know-Nothingism  and  were  about  to  move  up  to 
Washington  on  the  Brazos,  where,  it  is  said,  an  association  of 
gentlemen  will  christen  it  the  '  Washington  American, '  and  advo- 


212  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

cate  Know-Nothingism  in  a  dignified  manner,  that  is,  more  dig- 
nified than  the  other  Know-Nothing  papers.  Verily,  Messrs. 
Editors,  that  was  an  artful  dodge.  Gentlemen  get  up  in  our  city 
a  newspaper,  solicit  subscriptions  among  our  merchants,  mechan- 
ics, etc., — they  subscribe,  looking  on  it  as  an  enterprise  like- 
ly to  benefit  our  city  and  people;  and  lo  and  behold!  in  about 
three  weeks  they  find  themselves  all  transferred  to  an  association 
of  Know-Nothings  away  up  in  "Washington  on  the  Brazos  and 
are  very  respectfully  asked  to  allow  their  names  and  advertise- 
ments to  be  retained.  As  an  inducement  for  the  retention  of 
the  latter,  we  are  told  that  the  paper  already  has  a  circulation 
of  1,500,  a  number  which  could  have  been  easily  increased  to 
5,000  with  the  same  dash  of  the  pen.  I  have  known,  Messrs.  Edi- 
tors, papers  like  other  property,  to  change  hands,  and  the  sub- 
scribers to  receive  the  paper  for  the  period'  subscribed  for,  but 
this  is  the  first  time  I  have  known  of  a  paper  changing  owners, 
location,  name,  politics  and  religion  and  calling  on  its  subscribers, 
after  an  existence  of  three  weeks,  to  sustain  it;  and  I  really 
believe  that  nothing  but  the  anxiety  to  get  up  a  Know-Nothing 
paper  could  have  induced  the  gentlemen  to  make  so  modest  a 
request.  —(Signed)  Houstonian." 

At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  there  appears  to  have  been  a 
perfect  mania  for  starting  newspapers  in  Houston.  Quite  a  num- 
ber were  established  and  there  was  something  like  rapid  fire 
change  in  editors.  The  following  papers  were  established  after 
1865  and  had  all  become  defunct  by  1880 : 

Daily  Evening  Star — Editors :  R.  H.  Purdom,  W.  H.  Crank, 
and  W.  P.  Cole;  Daily  and  Weekly  Journal — Editors:  R.  H. 
Purdom,  Dudley  W.  Jones,  J.  J.  Diamond,  George  W.  Diamond, 
and  J.  W.  Diamond ;  Daily  Tri-Weekly  and  Weekly  Union — Edi- 
tors: J.  G.  Tracy,  E.  H.  Quick,  C.  C.  Gillespie,  James  E.  Carnes, 
J.  H.  Baker,  Will  Lambert,  and  J.  H.  Caldwell ;  Sunday  Gazette 
Editors :  Charles  Bickley,  Will  Lambert ;  Gillespies  Daily  Tele- 
graph— Editors :  C.  C.  Gillespie,  Jr.,  Crawford  Gillespie,  and  H. 
P.  Gillespie;  Ku-Klux  Vidette — Editors  and  Proprietors:  H.  P. 
Gillespie  and  B.  F.  King;  Daily  and  Weekly  Times — Editors: 
Sommers  Kinney,  E.  P.  Claudon,  W.  F.  Schott,  F.  Fauntleroy, 


Houston  Newspapers  213 

J.  W.  Colvin,  N.  A.  Taylor,  W.  Duesenberry,  and  Will  Lambert ; 
Daily  Courier — Hon.  Ashbel  Smith,  Editor ;  Daily  Commercial — 
Editors :  H.  Lehman,  and  N.  A.  Taylor ;  Daily  Mercury — Editors : 
J.  H.  Baker,  Sam  W.  Small,  and  C.  L.  Martin;  Masonic  Mirror 
and  Family  Visitor — Editor :  B.  T.  Kavanaugh ;  Houston  Weekly 
Argus  and  The  Houston  Weekly  Chronicle  also  enjoyed  a  brief 
existence  in  this  period ;  The  Houston  Telegraph — established  in 
1836,  suspended  publication  during  the  financial  panic  of  1873, 
revived  by  Mr.  A.  C.  Gray  in  1874,  and  died  in  1878. 
During  its  long  and  brilliant  career  it  was  edited  by  the 
following  named  gentlemen :  Gail  Borden,  Dr.  Francis  Moore,  C. 
J.  Cruger,  Harry  H.  Allen,  C.  J.  Cruger,  E.  H.  Gushing,  C.  C. 
Gillespie,  General  Webb,  A.  C.  Gray,  J.  Noble,  W.  P.  Doran,  H. 
P.  Gillespie,  W.  P.  Hamblin,  N.  P.  Turner,  Charles  Bickley, 
Horace  Cone,  Sr.,  T.  E.  Davis,  George  W.  Kidd,  Will  Lambert, 
and  C.  L.  Martin;  Houston  Nut-Shell — Bottler  and  Brown,  edit- 
ors and  proprietors ;  Monthly  Union  Land  Register — C.  C.  Vogel, 
editor  and  proprietor;  Texas  Sun  (removed  to  San  Antonio)  — 
A.  W.  Gifford,  editor;  Evening  News — Editors:  D.  D.  Bryan, 
and  J.  P.  Farrell;  Houston  Evening  Age — Editors:  D.  L. 
McGarey,  Charles  Bickley,  Gustave  Cook,  F.  F.  Chew,  C.  L.  Mar- 
tin, Sam  W.  Small,  Judge  J.  K.  P.  Gallaspie,  B.  F.  Hardcastle, 
A.  A.  McBride,  R.  D.  Westcott,  Ed  Smallwood,  George  King  and 
H.  C.  Stevens. 

The  initial  number  of  the  Texas  Staats  Zeitung,  a  German 
newspaper,  Beger  and  Leonhardt,  publishers,  appeared  Decem- 
ber 11,  1868.  The  first  number  of  the  Texas  Gazette,  a  small 
daily,  appeared  December  31,  1875.  At  that  date  the  Zeitung 
was  merged  with  the  Gazette.  The  Peoples  Advocate,  a  Green- 
back organ,  C.  B.  Kitteringham,  publisher,  appeared  in  1878. 

Many  publications  in  Houston  are  designed  to  foster  special 
commercial  interests.  Most  of  these  are  issued  weekly,  but  sev- 
eral are  monthly  and  of  magazine  rank. 

The  Texas  Bankers  Journal,  owned  and  'edited  by  W.  W. 
Dexter,  is  a  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  the  interest  of  banks 
and  bankers,  that  reflects  credit  on  its  editor  and  the  city.  It  is 
well  gotten  up  and  presents  a  neat  appearance.  The  Texas 


History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Magazine,  published  by  the  Texas  Magazine  Publishing  Company, 
under  the  management  of  Mr.  Nelson  F.  Johnson,  and  edited 
by  Harry  Van  DeMark,  is  now  safely  launched  on  the  magazine 
sea.  Its  aim  is  to  exploit  the  natural,  commercial  and  literary 
resources  of  Texas  and  to  develop  home  talent  in  magazine  writ- 
ing, though  its  field  for  .contributions  is  not  restricted  to  Houston 
or  Texas  by  any  means. 

The  Vagabond,  a  monthly,  owned,  edited  and  published  by 
Everett  Lloyd,  was  recently  resurrected  in  Houston.  It  jousts 
a  tilt  at  everything  that  "is."  The  editor  calls  it  "The  Diamond 
of  Free-lance  Journalism,"  "A  Literary  Melting  Pot,"  and  says 
' '  It  skins  Vesuvius  for  size  and  spunk. ' '  The  Vagabond  bristles 
with  interest  and  bids  fair  to  prove  a  success. 

The  Deutsche  Zeitung,  is  edited  and  published  by  Mr.  A. 
Haxthausen,  and  appears  as  a  weekly.  The  Houston  Labor 
Journal,  is  a  weekly  devoted  to  the  interests  of  labor  and  of 
working  men.  It  is  neat  in  appearance  and  is  well  edited  by 
its  proprietor,  Mr.  Max  Andrews,  whose  'sanity,  fairness  and 
conservatism  have  put  it  on  a  firm  basis.  The  Jewish  Herald,  a 
weekly  publication,  devoted  to  matters  of  interest  to  the  Hebrew 
citizens  of  Houston,  is  edited  and  published  by  Mr.  E.  Goldberg. 
The  Texas  Realty  Journal,  a  monthly  publication  as  its  name 
implies  in  the  interest  of  real  estate,  is  published  by  Mr.  C.  C. 
Buckingham,  as  is  also  The  Texas  Tradesman,  a  journal  devoted 
largely  to  the  lumber  interest.  Th  e  Texas  Word  is  a  weekly  pub- 
lication owned  and  edited  by  Mrs.  R.  B.  Palmer. 

The  Houston  Telegram,  published  by  the  Houston  Telegram 
Publishing  Company,  made  it  appearance  in  1878,  and  continued 
publication  as  a  daily  paper  for  about  two  years.  This  was 
really  the  old  Telegraph  under  a  slightly  changed  name. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Gail  Johnson,  grandson  of  Gail  Borden,  the 
founder  of  the  old  Telegraph,  announced  that  he  would  estab- 
lish a  daily  newspaper  in  Houston,  to  be  known  as  the  Houston 
Post.  There  was.  some  delay  in  receiving  the  press,  type,  and 
other  material  from  New  York  and,  Mr.  Johnson,  having  a 
thoroughly  organized  editorial  staff,  grew  impatient  and  deter- 
mined to  issue  the  Post  for  a  short  time  as  an  afternoon  paper. 


Houston  Newspapers  215 

having  it  printed  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Coyle.  This  he  did  and  the 
Post  made  its  appearance  on  February  19,  1880.  Colonel  Bartow 
was  leading  editor ;  Dr.  S.  0.  Young,  associate  editor ;  Mr.  D.  D. 
Bryan,  city  editor  and  Mr.  Joe  Abbey  was  paragrapher  and 
writer  of  special  articles  and  humorous  sketches.  He  was  the 
first  newspaper  man  in  the  South  to  engage  exclusively  in  such 
special  work.  He  afterwards  gained  something  of  a  national 
reputation  as  a  humorist.  Mr.  Johnson  was  general  manager  and 
had  supervision  over  both  the  editorial  and  business  departments. 
The  Post  was  first  edited  in  an  office  on  the  second  floor  at  61 
Main  Street,  but  on  March  11,  it  moved  into  new  quarters,  over 
the  old  Gushing  Book  Store  on  Franklin  Street,  opposite  the 
Hutchins  House.  The  press  and  printing  material  having  arrived, 
the  Post  was  issued  as  a  morning  paper  on  March  30,  1880, 
under  the  new  heading,  "The  Houston  Daily  Post."  • 

On  February  21,  1881,  the  paper  was  moved  to  the  Larendon 
Building  on  Commerce  Street,  opposite  the  Court  House,  where 
the  Telegram  had  been  located  before  its  suspension.  The  Post 
was  favorably  received  by  the  people  of  Houston  and  had  quite 
a  good  circulation  throughout  the  state.  Colonel  Bartow  had 
resigned  as  editor  and  his  place  had  been  filled  by  Prof.  T.  J. 
Girardeau,  a  polished  writer,  and  the  paper  was  gaining  ground 
rapidly  in  popular  favor  when  the  political  campaign  of  1882 
began.  Judge  J.  W.  Johnson,  the  father  of  Mr.  Gail  Johnson, 
was  a  staunch  Republican,  and  insisted  on  having  the  Post  sup- 
port Hon.  Wash  Jones,  a  brave  Confederate  soldier,  for  governor 
against  Hon.  John  Ireland,  the  regular  Democratic  nominee. 
This  was  done  against  the  protest  of  Mr.  Gail  Johnson.  The  cam- 
paign was  a  very  bitter  one  and  resulted  not  only  in  the  election 
of  Ireland  but  in  the  obliteration  of  the  Post.  The  paper  lost 
ground  so  rapidly  that  Judge  Johnson  who  had  become  sole 
owner  through  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Gail  Johnson  in  1883,  was 
glad  to  dispose  of  it  to  a  number  of  Houston  capitalists  who 
wanted  to  have  a  real  Democratic  paper.  These  gentlemen  start- 
ed with  the  intention  of  making  the  Post  a  first-class  paper  and 
they  did  so.  They  secured  the  services  of  Mr.  Hardenbrook,  an 
experienced  newspaper  man,  and  gave  him  free  hand  to  do  as  he 


216  History  of  Houston,  Texai 

thought  best,  and,  what  was  more  to  the  point,  they  gave  him 
practically  an  unlimited  supply  of  money.  The  paper  had 
superb  backing  and  loyal  support.  The  Post  advanced  rapidly  in 
public  favor  and  became  at  once  one  of  the  leading  state  papers. 
Mr.  Tobe  Mitchel  was  brought  here  from  St.  Louis  and  placed 
in  charge  of  the  editorial  department.  Hardenbrook  gave  Mit- 
chel as  free  a  hand  as  the  backers  of  the  paper  had  given  him. 
No  expense  was  spared  in  gathering  the  news  and  the  Post  soon 
became  the  best  and  newsiest  paper  published  in  the  South.  This 
continued  for  eight  or  ten  months.  Then  the  capitalists  realized 
that  while  it  had  cost  a  small  fortune  to  put  the  Post  in  first 
place  among  newspapers,  it  was  going  to  cost  another  to  keep  it 
there,  and  they  threw  up  the  sponge  and  quit.  The  Post  col- 
lapsed. 

The  suspension  of  the  Post  left  Houston  without  a  morning 
paper,  but  this  was  not  to  be  for  long.  When  the  Post  suspended, 
in  addition  to  the  first-class  printing  plant,  there  was  a  large 
supply  of  white  paper  on  hand.  Mr.  Wm.  R.  Baker  turned  over 
all  this  to  Dr.  S.  0.  Young,  allowed  him  the  free  use  of  the  plant 
and  allowed  him  to  use  the  paper,  paying  for  what  was  used  and 
when  it  was  used,  at  actual  cost.  Dr.  Young  at  once  organized 
a  company  and  on  March  14,  the  first  copy  of  the  Houston  Chron- 
icle was  issued.  The  Chronicle  was  run  strictly  on  the  pay-as- 
you-go  principle.  It  was  not  a  brilliant  newspaper,  judged  by 
the  standard  of  today,  but  it  was  a  clean,  newsy  sheet  and  while 
its  existence  was  largely  a  hand-to-mouth  business,  it  ended  its 
first  year  with  a  fair  patronage  and  not  a  dollar  of  debt. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Watson  and  Prof.  T.  J.  Girardeau  were  at  that 
time  publishing  an  afternoon  paper  called  the  Herald.  A  t'ter 
some  negotiation  these  gentlemen  and  Doctor  Young,  who  had 
now  secured  sole  control  of  the  Chronicle,  determined  to  .nerge 
the  two  papers.  This  was  done  and  on  April  5,  1885,  the  Chron- 
icle and  Herald  were  consolidated  under  the  name  of  the  Houston 
Post.  In  its  first  issue  the  Post  said  editorially:  ''Thousands 
throughout  Texas  will  be  surprised  to  see  the  above  caption, 
which  looks  like  the  materialization  of  a  great  but  moral  enter- 
prise. The  revival  of  the  Post  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  an 


Houston  Newspapers  217 

assumption  of  the  obligations  of  that  paper,  but  an  authorized 
use  of  a  name  made  honorable  throughout  the  state,  and  the 
parties,  who  have  adopted  the  name  after  mature  deliberation, 
feel  an  assurance  of  popular  sympathy  on  that  point.  The  late 
Post  made  a  brilliant  record  for  itself.  *  *  *  *  The  proprietors 
of  the  new  Post  emphatically  announce  as  the  keynote  of  their 
enterprise  the  principle  of  restricting  all  expenditures  within  the 
limits  of  income.  This  may  be  laughed  at,  but  solid  business 
men  will  understand  and  appreciate  this  honest  position  assumed 
by  the  proprietors  of  the  Post." 

The  proprietors,  Messrs.  Girardeau,  Young  and  Watson,  the 
latter  being  Mr.  J.  W.  Watson,  the  business  manager  of  the  Post, 
"felt  a  natural  confidence  in  appealing  to  the  community  for  its 
support.  They  took  up  the  enterprise,  not  as  capitalists  nor  as 
adventurers,  but  as  men  known  and  sized  up  by  their  fellow 
citizens  in  a  fair  and  honorable  business  .which  must  stand  or 
fall  according  to  the  ability  displayed  and  patronage  extended. ' ' 
The  proprietors  of  the  Post  had  a  hard  fight  to  keep  their  heads 
above  water.  First,  Professor  Girardeau  became  discouraged  and 
disposed  of  his  interest  to  his  two  partners.  However,  they  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  get  Col.  R.  M.  Johnson,  one  of  the  best  and  most 
practical  newspaper  men  in  the  country,  to  take  his  place.  In  Sep- 
tember, Doctor  Young  accepted  a  flattering  offer  to  become  one 
of  the  editorial  writers  on  the  Galveston  News.  This  left  as  sole 
proprietors  of  the  Post,  Mr.  Watson,  who  was  great  as  a  business 
manager  and  Colonel  Johnson  a  most  capable  editor.  They 
were  dreadfully  hampered  by  the  want  of  money,  so  in  1886, 
they  reorganized  the  Post,  turning  it  into  a  stock  company.  The 
company  became  "The  Houston  Post,  Houston  Printing  Com- 
pany, proprietors."  Its  officers  were:  E.  P.  Hill,  president;  T. 
W.  House,  vice-president;  A.  F.  Sittig,  secretary;  R.  M.  John- 
son, managing  editor;  J.  W.  Watson,  business  manager.  The 
following  named  gentlemen  were  chosen  as  the  first  executive 
committee  of  the  Company:  E.  P.  Hill,  T.  W.  House,  W.  R. 
Baker,  Z.  T.  Hogan,  H.  F.  Macgregor,  and  S.  Taliaferro.  For 
a  few  years  the  fight  was  all  uphill,  but  finally  the  ability  of 
Colonel  Johnson  as  an  editorial  writer  and  manager,  backed  by 


2'S  History  of  Houston,  T?-r,as 

the  genius  of  Mr.  Watson  as  a  business  manager,  told  and  the 
Post  became  what  it  is  today,  a  paper  which  has  the  admiration 
of  many  people  in  Texas  and  a  source  of  pride  to  Houston.  It 
won  its  greatest  state  popularity  by  espousing  the  cause  of  J.  S. 
Hogg,  in  the  great  Hogg-Clark  campaign. 

In  1882,  on  November  1,  the  Houston  Daily  Sun  made  its 
appearance.  It  was  a  small  afternoon  paper  and  had  but  a  short 
existence. 

In  April,  1883,  The  Texas  Journal  of  Education  was 
removed  from  San  Antonio  to  Houston.  This  was  a  monthly  pub- 
lication devoted,  as  its  name  indicates,  to  educational  matters. 
It  was  in  charge  of  the  Public  School  Superintendents  and  was 
edited  through  a  directory,  of  which  Mr.  Wilkens  was  president. 
The  great  bulk  of  its  contents  was  supplied  by  the  superintend- 
ents of  the  different  public  schools  of  the  State. 

The  Texas  Scrap  Book,  an  eight  page,  48  column  weekly 
began  publication  March. 10,  1886,  H.  R.  Zintgraff  &  Co.,  publish- 
ers. It  soon  suspended  publication,  but  was  revived,  February 
1887,  by  Spencer  Hutchins  &  Co.,  who  had  bought  the  title  and 
subscription  list,  and  who  assumed -all  liabilities. 

Mr.  "W.  E.  Bailey,  in  1884,  began  the  publication  of  the 
Houston  Herald,  an  afternoon  paper.  Mr.  Bailey,  though 
quite  a  young  man,  was  a  good  and  experienced  news- 
paper worker  and  a  forcible  writer.  He  had  ideas  of 
his  own,  among  them  being  that  no  man's  financial  or 
social  position  should  shield  him  from  publicity  if  he  deviated  in 
the  slightest  from  the  straight  and  narrow  path.  The  Herald  soon 
began  creating  almost  daily  sensations.  It  claimed  that  it  told 
nothing  but  the  truth,  and  intimated  that  all  those  who  felt 
aggrieved  could  obtain  satisfaction  either  through  the  courts 
or  by  calling  at  the  Herald  office  and  interviewing  the  editor  per- 
sonally. One  or  two  adopted  the  latter  method  but  they  found 
Mr.  Bailey  as  ready  with  his  hardware  as  he  was  with  his  pen, 
and  in  every  case  the  aggrieved  ones  came  off  more  aggrieved 
than  ever.  Of  course,  the  Herald  became  immensely  popular 
and  unpopular,  but  both  added  to  its  circulation,  and  soon  this 
circulation  increased  to  large  proportions.  The  advertisements 


Houston  Newspapers  219 

poured  in,  too,  and  in  a  few  months  the  Herald  was  firmly  estab- 
lished. The  Herald  continued  its  live-wire  existence  for  several 
years  and  then,  its  founder  having  amassed  a  small  fortune, 
became  more  conservative.  The  Herald  became  less  caustic  and 
prosy  and  the  public  to  some  extent  lost  interest  in  it.  In 
1902,  the  Herald,  though  still  a  good  paper,  had  lost  ground  and 
Mr.  Bailey  was  glad  to  dispose  of  it  to  Mr.  M.  E.  Foster,  who 
had  organized  the  Houston  Chronicle,  and  who  offered  to  buy  the 
plant  and  good  will  of  the  Herald.  On  October  14th,  1902,  the 
publication  of  the  Houston  Chronicle  was  begun  as  an  afternoon 
paper.  That  date  marks  a  red  letter  day  in  the  history  of  after- 
noon Journalism  in  Texas,  for"  from  its  first  issue  the  Chronicle 
became  the  leading  and  best  afternoon  paper  in  the  South.  Mr. 
Foster  has  rare  talent  as  an  organizer  and  he  also  has  executive 
ability  of  high  order.  Every  detail  had  been  thought  out  and 
arranged  in  advance,  with  the  result  that  when  the  Chronicle 
made  its  appearance,  it  was  on  a  plane  that  would  have  consumed 
months  to  attain,  had  ordinary,  time-worn  methods  been  followed. 
The  success  of  the  Chronicle  has  been  phenomenal  from  its  first 
issue  and  today  it  stands  a  monument  to  the  wisdom  and  ability 
of  its  founder,  Mr.  M.  E.  Foster.  On  October  16,  the  Chronicle 
began  the  publication  of  a  Sunday  morning  edition.  The  cir- 
culation of  both  the  afternoon  daily  and  the  Sunday  morning 
editions  is  very  large  and  extends  over  the  whole  state.  The 
paper  has  made  itself  very  popular  by  its  advocacy  of  measures 
for  the  suppression  of  gambling,  the  ' '  pistol  toters, ' '  mob  violence, 
and,  of  the  officers  of  the  law  who  shoot  fleeing  prisoners  to  pre- 
vent their  escape.  February  28th,  1910,  the  Chronicle  moved  into 
its  new  10-story  skyscraper  on  Travis  Street  and  Texas  Avenue 
and  celebrated  the  occasion  by  coming  out  in  a  new  dress. 

Marcellus  E.  Foster  was  an  expert  newspaper  man  when  he 
established  the  Chronicle.  He  had  risen  to  the  position  of  man- 
aging editor  of  the  Houston  Daily  Post  and  had  inaugurated  on 
that  paper  some  of  its  most  lasting  and  popular  features  such  as 
the  Happyhammer  Page.  It  was  the  policy  of  the  Chronicle  to 
put  a  premium  on  newspaper  excellence  in  newsgathering  and 
story  writing  and  Mr.  Foster  surrounded  himself  with  a  brilliant 


220  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

staff  of  specialists.  C.  B.  Gillespie  became  managing  editor.  He 
combined  brilliance  with  a  genius  for  hard  work  and  with  kind- 
liness and  tact.  The  men  on  the  Chronicle  always  do  team  work. 
Among  those  who  have  added  to  their  Deputation  and  that  of  the 
paper,  are  W.  S.  Gard,  Frank  Putnam,  B.  H.  Carroll,  Jr.,  C.  H. 
Abbott,  George  E.  Kepple,  O.  0.  Ballard,  Billie  Maytield,  John 
Regan,  Chester  Colby  and  the  jolly  crew  of  newsjgatherers  that 
are  still  connected  with  the  paper. 

The  Chronicle  has  the  largest  sworn  circulation  of  any 
paper  in  the  state  and  with  the  exception  of  the  Dallas  News  has 
the  largest  list  of  subscribers  of  any  daily  paper  in  Texas.  Its 
home  is  the  best  equipped  newspaper  plant  South  of  New  York 
and  the  Chronicle  plant  is  one  of  the  show  sites  of  the  city.  The 
Chronicle  has  successfully  conducted  a  number  of  crusades 
against  social  and  political  evils  and  has  always  been  on  the 
side  of  cleanness  and  political  honesty. 

The  Galveston  News,  which  has  a  strong  following  and  a 
large  circulation  in  Houston  was  represented  here  for  many 
years  by  Colonel  Hamp  Cook,  the  dean  of  the  newspaper  fra- 
ternity of  the  city.  In  June,  1907,  Mr.  J.  R.  Montgomery  took 
charge  of  the  news  end  of  the  Houston  office  and  has  been  bril- 
liantly successful.  A.  P.  Vaughn  is  the  local  business  manager. 

Many  men  of  natural  reputation  in  journalism  are  now 
or  have  been  connected  with  the  Houston  press.  Besides  several 
of  those  just  named  on  the  Chronicle,  George  Bailey  of  "  red- 
headed widows"  and  "heavenly  Houston,"  fame,  of  the  Post, 
and  Judd  Mortimer  Lewis,  the  sweet  singer  of  the  South  are  here 
now.  W.  C.  Brann,  the  pyrotechnic  writer  and  founder  of  the 
Iconoclast  once  worked  in  Houston,  and  all  unrecognized  0. 
Henry,  the  most  famous  American  writer  of  short  stories,  once 
worked  as  a  newsgatherer  in  Houston  for  $16  per  week.  Karl 
Crow  went  to  China  from  Houston;  J.  C.  Dionne  has  achieved 
reputation  as  a  special  writer  on  lumber,  and  the  honor  roll  of 
Houston  journalists  is  a  long  one  and  filled  with  the  record  of 
worthy  achievement. 

The  first  Houston  author  was  a  Mr.  Kerr  who  wrote  a  book 
of  poems,  which  he  published  at  his  own  expense,  about  1837. 


Houston  Newspapers  221 

It  is  doubtful  if  there  is  a  copy  of  this  wonderful  book  in  exist- 
ence today,  for  forty  years  ago  it  was  so  rare  that  Judge  John 
Brashear  paid  $200  for  a  copy,  part  of  which  was  torn  off.  The 
book  was  made  up  of  personal  and  descriptive  poems  and  was 
on  the  order  of  the  poem  written  and  dedicated  to  General  Brax- 
ton  Bragg  by  the  late  Doctor  Cooper,  the  well  remembered  horse 
doctor  of  Houston,  which  began: 

"There's  General  Bragg,  the  noble  stag, 
"Who  made  the  Yankee  soldiers  wag 
At  Chic-a-magua. " 

Kerr  's  poems  were  just  that  kind  and  he  described  Galveston 
as  follows : 

"Galveston  Island,  long  and  low, 
Devoid  of  trees  and  shruberee ; 

Small  vessels  there  can  safely  go, 
And  find  safety  and  securitee." 

The  book  contained  about  fifty  "poems,"  all  on  the  order 
of  the  sample  given.  The  poem  is  not  in  any  way  a  represen- 
tative sample  of  the  literary  efforts  of  the  early  Houstonians.  It 
is  given  place  here  merely  because  it  was  the  earliest  effort  of 
which  any  record  exists. 

One  of  the  earliest  prose  writers  who  published  his  books 
was  Mr.  Cyrus  S.  Oberly.  He  was  a  man  of  education  and 
considerable  literary  ability.'  He  published  three  stories,  each 
based  largely  on  his  own  experience  as  a  Texas  ranger  during 
the  Cortina  raids  and  during  the  Comanche  and  Apachie  troubles. 
.He  was  for  nearly  three  years  with  the  rangers  on  the  Texas 
frontier,  and,  of  course,  had  a  large  fund  of  personal  experience 
from  which  to  draw  in  the  construction  of  his  stories.  He  sold 
the  copyrights  to  a  New  York  publishing  house,  and  in  conse- 
quence, his  books  had  a  much  wider  circulation  in  the  East  than 
they  did  at  home.  He  wrote  charming  newspaper  verse  and  was 
a  regular  contributor  to  the  new  Orleans  Sunday  Picayune  which, 
at  that  time,  had  a  regular-  literary  department.  But  for  his 
excessive  modesty  and  his  proneness  to  hide  his  light  under  a 
bushel,  Mr.  Oberly  would  have  attained  a  much  wider  reputation 


2'2'2  History  of  Houston,  Tecas 

as  a  literary  man  than  he  had  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  to 
which  he  was  entitled  by  his  really  fine  literary  productions. 

The  year  1885  seems  to  have  been  one  in  which  the  literary 
talent  of  Houston  shone  with  peculiar  brilliancy.  During  that 
year,  Mrs.  Ella  Stewart,  now  Mrs.  Seybrook  Sydnor,  published 
"Gems  from  a  Texas  Quarry,"  a  compilation  of  the  writings 
of  Texas  authors,  a  book  which  found  a  safe  place  in  Texas  lit- 
erature. Mr.  James  Everett  McAshan  was  brought  into  promi- 
nence that  year  by  the  publication  of  a  paper  on  "The  Jew," 
which  was  a  scholarly  production  and  would  have  established  his 
reputation  as  a  thinker  and  writer  had  he  published  nothing 
more.  He  became  a  regular  contributor  to  Texas  Siftings  and 
wrote  many  charming  short  stories,  which  were  widely  repro- 
duced. Mrs.  Lee  C.  Harby  was  a  writer  of  both  prose  and  verse. 
She  was  a  regular  contributor  to  the  leading  magazines  and  as 
a  short  story  writer,  she  had  few  equals. 

Miss  Claudia  M.  Girardeau  laid  the  foundation  of  her  liter- 
ary reputation  in  Houston.  Many  of  her  earlier  poems  and 
stories  appeared  in  the  Post  and  in  other  local  publications.  Her 
short  stories,  won  for  her  a  wide  reputation.  Like  Mrs.  Harby, 
she  seemed  equally  at  ease  either  in  prose  or  verse. 

Miss  Willa  Lloyd  was  another  of  the  writers  of  1885.  She 
wrote  verses  but  her  chief  strength  lay  in  writing  sketches  and 
short  stories  of  domestic  life. 

Mrs.  Paul  Bremond  was  the  author  of  a  libretto  which  made 
quite  a  reputation  for  her,  both  here  and  in  New  York.  She 
also  wrote  salable  descriptive  articles  on  travel  and  some  meri- 
torious short  stories. 

( 

Judge  Norman  G.  Kittrell  is  one  of  the  most  prolific  writers 
Houston  has  ever  had.  His  writings  have  been  confined  to  no 
particular  field.  He  is  equally  at  home  in  law,  art,  music,  litera- 
ture, or  whatever  he  chooses  to  attempt.  He  has  written  a  novel, 
a  school  text  book  and  essays  and  special  articles  on  innumerable 
subjects.  His  novel  "Ned  Nigger  and  Gentleman"  was  drama- 
tized for  a  time  and  had  great  success.  In  1909,  he  published 
a  valuable  text  book  called  by  him  "A  Primer  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  Texas. ' ' 


Houston  Newspapers  223 

The  Texas  State  Press  Association  had  its  birth  in  Houston. 
In  response  to  a  call  that  had  been  published  in  the  papers  over 
the  state,  a  number  of  Texas  editors  assembled  in  the  parlors  of 
the  Hutchins  House  on  Franklin  Avenue,  May  18,  1880,  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  the  Texas  Press  Association.  Major  E.  W. 
Cave,  an  old  printer,  but  at  that  time  one  of  the  general  officers 
of  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad,  welcomed  the  visit- 
ors in  an  eloquent  address,  which  was  responded  to  by  Hon.  Hall 
Gosling,  of  the  Castroville  Quill.  After  the  speech-making  was 
over,  the  editors  settled  down  to  work  and  perfected  a  complete 
organization  by  the  adoption  of  a  constitution  and  by-laws,  and 
the  election  of  officers.  At  night  a  banquet  was  given  in  honor 
of  the  visiting  editors  by  the  Houston  Cotton  Exchange  and 
Houston  merchants.  Little  beyond  organization  was  done  at 
that  meeting. 

The  association  met  in  Houston  the  following  year.  Col. 
Geo.  H.  Sweet  of  the  Galveston  Journal  of  Commerce,  was  the 
orator  and  a  poem  was  read  by  Miss  Florence  M.  Gerald  of  Waco. 
The  session  lasted  for  three  days  and  much  good  work  was  done 
by  the  association  during  that  time.  The  association  held  the 
two  following  annual  sessions  in  Houston  and  then  determined, 
as  the  Medical  Association  had  done,  that  it  would  be  more  con- 
ducing to  the  growth  and  health  of  the  association  to  meet  at  a 
different  point  in  the  state  each  year.  Houston  has  not  been  for- 
gotten by  the  editors,  however,  and  it  has  had  the  honor  of  enter- 
taining them  once  or  twice  since  they  determined  to  abandon 
this  city  as  their  permanent  headquarters. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Transportation  and  Communication 


Early  Transportation  Difficulties.  An  Early  Monopoly  Pro- 
posed. The  First  Railroad.  Other  Early  Roads.  The  G. 
H.  &  H.  Road.  Beginning  of  Texas  and  New  Orleans  Line. 
Railroads  During  War  and  Reconstruction  Days.  Systems 
Center  in  Houston.  The  Plank  Road  Company.  The  Ox- 
Wagon  Trade.  Paul  Bremond's  Enterprise.  Growing  Need 
for  Roads.  Houston  as  Terminus  for  Seventeen  Roads. 
Houston's  Railroad  Trackage,  Trains  and  Headquarters. 
Sunset  Central  System.  Katy  and  Sap  Terminals.  Santa 
Fe  and  Frisco  Lines.  Bayou  Navigation.  The  Wharfage 
Fight.  Charles  Morgan  and  the  Ship  Channel.  The  Gov- 
ernment and  the  Channel.  Deepening  the  Channel.  Bayou 
Traffic.  Houston  Terminal  Company.  First  Street  Car 
Company.  Extending  Street  Railways.  Operation  Under 
Stone-Webster  Syndicate.  Trackage  and  Pay  Roll.  Houston 
Galveston  Interurban.  Earliest  Telegraph  Service.  Begin- 
nings of  Telephone  Service.  Present  Telegraph  Service  in 
Houston.  Southwestern  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Company. 
Automatic  Telephone  Company.  Wireless  Telegraphy. 


In  the  very  early  days,  the  question  of  transportation  was  the 
most  serious  that  confronted  the  pioneer.  Except  at  and  near 
La  Bahia,  now  Goliad ;  Bexar,  now  San  Antonio,  and  Nacogodo- 
ches,  the  whole  country  was  a  wilderness.  These  were  small  but 
very  important  Spanish  settlements.  The  early  settler  had  diffi- 
culties to  overcome  in  getting  into  Texas  and  greater  ones  in 
reaching  outside  markets  for  his  products,  after  he  established 
himself  here.  His  choice  of  transportation  was  limited  to  scarce- 
ly navigable  streams,  and  to  the  slow  and  tedious  ox- wagons  over 
dangerous  and  almost  impassable  trails. 

Under  such  conditions,  it  is  not  surprising  that  so  soon  as  the 
city  of  Houston  was  located,  its  natural  advantages  were  recog- 


Transportation  and  Communication  225 

nized  and  it  became  the  center  of  growth,  commerce  and  trade 
of  the  new  Republic.  The  founders  of  Houston  were  not  slow  in 
appreciating  their  advantageous  position  as  the  natural  connect- 
ing link  between  land  and  water  transportation,  and  as  early  as 
1838  four  steamboats  were  carrying  cotton  and  other  Texas  pro- 
ducts from  Houston  to  New  Orleans. 

In  1839,  the  Republic  of  Texas  appropriated  $315,000  for 
the  improvement  of  Texas  rivers  and  harbors,  but  strange  to  say 
no  one  seems  to  have  been  wide  awake  enough  to  have  attempted 
to  have  any  part  of  the  appropriation  used  for  the  improvement 
of  Buffalo  Bayou.  Doubtless  such  action  was  deemed  unneces- 
sary, for  the  main  transportation  difficulties  were  encountered  on 
land  and  not  on  water.  Stage-coach  lines  and  freight  wagons 
were  organized  and  put  in  operation,  and  for  years,  these  and 
ox-wagons  were  the  only  means  of  communication  between  Hous- 
ton and  the  interior. 

Such  means  were  not  only  very  expensive  but  were  absolutely 
dangerous  because  of  the  hostile  and  blood-thirsty  Indians  and 
thieving  Mexicans.  These  difficulties  and  costs  of  communica- 
tion were  thus  referred  to  by  President  Houston  in  1840,  when 
speaking  of  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  government  from  Houston 
to  Austin :  ' '  During  the  last  year  the  expense  to  the  government 
for  transportation  to  Austin,  over  and  above  what  it  would  have 
been  to  any  point  on  the  seaboard,  exceeded  $70,000,  and  the  extra 
cost  of  the  mails,  aside  from  all  other  inconveniences  attending 
its  remote  and  detached  situation,  amounted  to  many  thousands 
of  dollars  more."  He  explained  these  facts  by  reference  to  the 
dangers  to  life  and  property  from  attacks  by  Indians  and  from 
frequent  raids  on  the  Mexican  frontier. 

By  the  late  forties,  Houston  was  recognized  not  only  as  the 
most  important  connecting  link  between  the  outside  world  and 
the  interior  of  Texas,  but  as  the  nexus  between  the  older  states 
and  the  Pacific  Coast.  As  a  result  a  great  many  men  entered 
the  transportation  business  and  it  assumed  important  proportions. 
It  was  expensive  to  shippers  and  travelers,  but  it  must  not  be 
supposed  that  it  was  all  clear  profit  to  its  operators.  It  cost  one 
passenger  $200  to  ride  1,400  miles  and  it  took  30  days  to  make 


226  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

the  trip.     It  cost  a  shipper  one  dollar  to  ship  100  pounds  of 
freight  100  miles. 

Unquestionably  this  lack  of  transportation  delayed  the  settle- 
ment of  the  state  and  as  late  as  1850  only  16  counties  in  the  whole 
state  had  a  tax  valuation  of  as  much  as  a  million  dollars.  Harris 
County  with  its  water  and  land  transportation  had  reached  a  val- 
uation of  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  at  that  time.  Houston 
at  the  head  of  navigation,  was  the  wholesale  center  and  the  chief 
commercial  and  financial  city  in  Texas  and  was,  in  consequence, 
a  center  of  some  importance. 

There  were  schemes  and  schemers  even  in  the  very  first  days 
of  the  Republic.  The  first  of  these  was  the  ' '  Texas  Railroad  and 
Navigation  Company, ' '  whose  promoters  sought  to  have  a  monop- 
oly of  and  control  of  the  transportation  facilities  and  bank- 
ing of  the  new  Republic.  The  charter,  dated  1836,  authorized  the 
company  to  connect  the  waters  of  the  Sabine  and  Rio  Grande 
Rivers  by  means  of  railroads,  canals  and  rivers,  grouped  under 
the  name  of  " internal  navigation  and  railroads."  There  was 
a  banking  side,  too.  The  promoters  had  the  right  of  eminent 
domain  and  a  gratuity  of  half  a  mile  of  land  on  either  side  of 
their  right-of-way,  and  they  had  begun  a  campaign  of  educa- 
tion among  the  people  to  teach  them  how  much  they  were  going 
to  do  for  them  when  the  whole  thing  was  knocked  on  the  head 
by  timely  legislation,  which  took  all  the  life  out  of  the  enterprise. 
The  plan,  as  a  whole,  was  the  initial  step  in  the  transportation 
and  navigation  question  which  was  put  before  the  people  of 
Texas  year  after  year  for  many  years.  It  was  revived  in  improved 
form  a  few  years  ago  by  those  who  desire  to  incorporate 
it  in  a  great  national  inter-costal  waterway. 

While  the  commerce  of  the  state  was  carried  on  by  such  crude 
means  as  wagons  drawn  by  oxen  and  horses,  as  late  as  1850,  it 
must  not  be  supposed  that  the  question  of  railroads  was  neglected. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  railroad  building  had  actually  begun  ten 
years  before  then.  In  1840  the  Harrisburg  and  Brazos  Valley 
people  let  a  contract  for  3,000  ties  and  engaged  a  force  of  negroes 
to  do  grading.  The  road,  later  to  become  the  Galveston,  Harris- 
burg  and  San  Antonio  Railway,  was  not  yet  incorporated.  Its 


Transportation  and  Communication  227 

directing  genius  was  A.  Brisco.  The  Houston  Morning  Star  in 
May,  1840,  announced  that  many  laborers  were  ' '  throwing  up  the 
track  and  preparing  it  for  the  rails  at  an  early  season, ' '  and  that 
more  would  soon  be  so  employed.  In  1841,  the  men  controlling  the 
enterprise  were  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Harrisburg 
Railroad  and  Trading  Company.  But  they  soon  abandoned  their 
enterprise,  and  nothing  was  accomplished  until  some  years  later. 
It  was  not  until  1847  that  it  again  showed  signs  of  life,  this  time 
under  the  name  of  the  Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and  Colorado  Rail- 
road. Columbia  and  Alleyton  were  the  terminal  points  first 
determined  on. 

In  1847,  General  Sidney  Sherman  acquired  control  of  the 
road,  bought  most  of  the  lots  at  Harrisburg,  gained  the  assist- 
ance of  Northern  capitalists  and  got  a  charter  for  the  road.  His 
local  fellow  incorporators  were:  Hugh  McLeod,  John  G.  Todd, 
John  Angier,  Jonathan  F.  Barrett,  E.  A.  Allen,  W.  M.  Rice,  W. 
A.  Van  Alstyne,  James  H.  Stevens,  B.  A.  Shepherd,  and  W.  J. 
Hutchins.  These  men  were  all  prominently  identified  with  Hous- 
ton and  Galveston.  The  spring  of  1851  saw  the  beginning  of 
the  survey  westward,  and  the  beginning  of  actual  construction, 
though  it  was  not  until  late  in  the  next  year  that  rails  were  laid. 
At  that  time  the  first  locomotive  ever  in  Texas  arrived.  It  was 
named  the  "General  Sherman." 

The  road  was  finished  in  1852  as  far  as  the  Brazos,  32  miles 
from  Harrisburg  and  in  1860,  nine  years  after  it  had  been  begun, 
it  was  constructed  to  Alleyton,  42  miles  farther.  The  intention 
had  been  to  put  this  line  through  to  Austin,  but  San  Antonio 
eventually  became  its  logical  objective  point. 

In  1858  the  Columbus,  San  Antonio  and  Rio  Grande  Rail- 
road Company  was  incorporated.  Its  object  was  to  construct  a 
line  from  Columbus,  via  Gonzales  to  San  Antonio.  It  was 
planned  to  connect  this  road  with  the  Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and 
Colorado  road  at  Alleyton  by  the  Columbus  Tap  road,  but  work 
was  stopped  by  the  war  and  was  not  resumed  for  several  years. 
But  the  progressive  citizens  of  Houston  were  not  content  with 
only  one  railroad,  and  it  reaching  out  towards  the  West.  They 
recognized  the  existence  of  a  large  and  rapidly  expanding  terri- 


228  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

tory  to  the  North  and  Northeast  and  took  steps  to  provide  for  its 
need. 

The  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad  (though  not  by 
that  name)  was  organized  in  1848  and  was  called  the  Galveston 
and  Red  River  Railroad.  Under  its  first  charter  Galveston  was 
to  have  been  its  Southern  terminus.  Its  charter  was  amended, 
in  1852,  and  this  also  was  superseded  by  a  new  charter,  in  1856, 
by  which  the  line  was  given  the  name  it  bears  today.  Grading 
was  begun  at  Houston,  in  1853.  There  were  only  two  miles  of 
road  completed  when  the  first  locomotive  was  put  on.  With  the 
locomotive  came  two  men,  one  of  whom  was  destined  to  become 
one  of  the  most  progressive  and  able  railroad  managers  in  Texas. 
This  was  C.  A.  Burton,  who  was  the  first  engineer  and  ran  the 
first  locomotive  for  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad, 
and  who  afterwards  became  the  general  superintendent  of  the 
road.  The  other  was  a  young  man  named  Dawson,  who  was  the 
first  fireman.  He  died  of  yellow  fever  during  the  epidemic  that 
occurred  soon  after  his  arrival.  Twenty-five  miles  of  road  was 
completed  by  1856  and  ten  miles  more  by  May,  1857.  It  was 
extended  to  Hempstead  by  1858,  and  to  Millican  in  1860.  This 
was  eighty  miles  of  road,  just  about  the  same  as  that  of  the 
Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and  Colorado  road.  By  the  completion  of 
these*  roads  Houston  established  its  claim  to  be  considered  the 
great  distributing  point. 

During  the  period  from  1857  to  1860,  the  Washington 
County  Railroad,  a  branch  of  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central, 
was  built,  as  an  independent  enterprise,  from  Hempstead  to 
Brenham,  21  miles.  Brenham  was  then  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant points  in  Texas. 

The  Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson  Railroad,  built  as 
an  outlet  to  the  Gulf,  via  Galveston,  for  lines  centering  in  Hous- 
ton was  begun  at  Virginia  Point  opposite  Galveston,  in  1854,  and 
was  finished  to  Houston  in  1858.  Its  length  was  42  miles,  and  in 
many  respects  it  was  and  is  one  of  the  most  important  bits  of 
railroad  ever  constructed' in  Texas.  Until  the  summer  of  1859 
passengers  and  freight  were  ferried  from  Virginia  Point  to  the 


Transportation  and  Communication  229 

Island,  but  a  bridge  across  the  bay  was  then  constructed  and 
in  1860  Houston  had  direct  connection  with  Galveston  by  rail. 

Houston  began,  in  1856,  the  construction  of  the  Houston 
Tap  and  Brazoria  Railroad,  seven  miles  in  length,  to  connect  with 
the  Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and  Colorado  Railroad  at  Pierce 
Junction.  The  Houston  Tap  and  Brazoria  Railroad  Company 
was  later  organized  to  take  over  the  Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and 
Colorado  road,  which  it  did  and  in  1861,  extended  it  to  Columbia, 
on  the  Brazos  River,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles  from  Houston.  That 
line  is  now  a  part  of  the  International  and  Great  Northern 
system. 

The  Texas  and  New  Orleans  road,  now  of  the  Southern 
Pacific  system,  was  originally  chartered  under  the  name  of  the 
Sabine  and  Galveston  Bay  Railroad  and  Lumber  Company.  It 
was  intended  to  build  a  line  from  Madison  to  Orange,  via 
Beaumont  to  tide  water  on  Galveston  Bay.  The  Company  was 
chartered  in  1859  as  the  Texas  and  New  Orleans  Railroad,  the 
plans  of  its  projectors  having  been  changed  and  a  new  charter 
becoming  necessary.  By  this  charter  the  company  was  organized 
to  accept  an  act  passed  by  the  Louisiana  legislature  legalizing 
the  construction  of  the  Louisiana  part  of  the  line ;  and  that  part 
in  Texas  was  to  be  known  as  the  Texas  division. 

Actual  construction  of  the  road  was  begun  at  Houston,  in 
1858,  and  it  was  completed  to  Liberty,  40  miles,  by  1860.  In 
January,  1861,  it  had  been  completed  to  Orange,  on  the  Sabine 
River,  111  miles  distant  from  Houston.  The  strategic  importance 
of  this  road  became  apparent  so  soon  as  the  Civil  War  broke  out, 
for  its  value  would  be  inestimable  in  case  of  the  blockade  of  Texas 
ports,  and  the  people  of  Louisiana  were  urged  to  complete  the 
link  between  the  Texas  border  and  New  Orleans.  However  noth- 
ing was  done  and  the  road  remained  in  its  unfinished  state  until 
long  after  the  war.  The  Civil  War  paralyzed  railroad  building 
as  it  did  other  industries.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Houston  had 
371  miles  of  railroad  centering  here. 

(1) — Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and  Colorado,  Harrisburg  to 
Alleyton,  80  miles. 


230  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

(2) — Houston  and  Texas  Central,  Houston  to  Millican,  80 
miles. 

(3) — Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson,  Galveston  to 
Houston,  50  miles. 

(4) — Houston  Tap  and  Brazoria,  Houston  to  Columbia,  50 
miles. 

(5) — Texas  and  New  Orleans,  Houston  to  Orange,  11.1  miles. 

The  Texas  railroads  suffered  more  than  almost  all  other 
interests  combined,  during  the  war.  The  State  Comptroller  in  a 
report  after  the  war,  said  that  the  railways  had  been  so  crippled 
and  disorganized  as  a  result  of  the  four  years  struggle,  that 
most  of  the  lines  had  ceased  to  be  anything  more  than  names. 
Train  service  over  the  Houston  Tap  and  Brazoria  Railroad  was 
abandoned  in  the  early  sixties,  and  at  the  comptroller's  office,  in 
1865,  it  was  not  known  definitely  if  the  Texas  and  New  Orleans 
road  was  in  operation  or  not,  so  meager  were  the  details.  It  had 
been  reported  as  in  bad  condition  and  unfit  for  use.  The  Buf- 
falo Bayou,  Brazos  and  Colorado  road  was  without  rolling 
stock,  road  bed,  bridges  or  anything  else  and  had  been  aban- 
doned. The  Houston  and  Texas  Central  was  in  a  dilapidated 
condition  and  unsafe. 

During  the  reconstruction  period  some  of  the  roads  were 
forced  to  organize,  others  to  completely  reorganize  while  others 
were  sold  outright  by  the  state.  By  1870  practically  every  ro?  d 
in  the  state  was  in  new  hands.  Then  systems  of  lines  began  to 
take  shape.  Outside  roads  began  pushing  towards  the  Texas 
border  and  Houston  became  the  center  of  a  system  as  important 
as  any  in  the  South,  and  more  pregnant  with  future  greatness 
than  any  other  railway  center  in  the  South  or  "West. 

Today  Houston  is  the  center  of  several  great  railway  sys- 
tems in  Texas. 

The  Southern  Pacific,  usually  known  as  the  Harriman  lines, 
entering  Houston,  are  the  Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Anton- 
io; Houston  and  Texas  Central;  Texas  and  New  Orleans; 
and  the  Houston  East  and  West  Texas.  The  San  Antonio  and 
Arkansas  Pass  road,  formerly  of  the  system,  was  separated  from 


Transportation  and  Communication  231 

it  by  the  railway  commission  and  is  now  listed  as  an  independent 
road. 

Chief  of  the  Gould  group  is  the  International  and  Great 
Northern,  1,106  miles  in  length,  with  its  headquarters  in  Hous- 
ton. This  is  the  only  line  crossing  the  state  from  northeast  to 
southwest.  The  next  in  importance  is  the  Galveston,  Houston 
and  Henderson.  The  Houston  Tap  and  Brazoria  road,  formerly 
an  independent  line  is  now  part  of  the  International  and  is 
known  as  the  Columbia  Tap.  The  mileage  of  the  Gould  group 
of  roads  is  2,923  miles,  and  there  are  more  roads  belonging  to 
it  than  to  any  other  system  in  the  state. 

In  the  early  eighties  it  was  of  relatively  more  importance 
than  it  is  now,  and  controlled  the  -Missouri  Pacific  and  the  Mis- 
souri Kansas  and  Texas  roads.  The  Missouri  Pacific  divided  the 
International  and  Great  Northern  into  two  branches,  one  from 
. Longview  to  Houston  via  Palestine;  the  other  from  St.  Louis 
to  Houston,  via  the  Iron  Mountain  road  to  Texarkana,  and  the 
International  and  Great  Northern  to  Houston,  and  from  the 
Texas  and  Pacific  to  Longview.  By  a  lease  of  the  track  of  the 
Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson  road  for  99  years,  an  outlet 
for  the  International  and  Great  Northern  to  Galveston  was 
secured. 

Down  to  June,  1907,  the  Santa  Fe  lines  in  Texas  aggregated 
1,776  miles.  Many  miles  have  been  built  since,  nearly  all  in 
west  Texas.  The  main  line  to  Galveston  was  not  originally  the 
property  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Company.  Gal- 
veston had  suffered  so  much  from  having  Houston  quarantine 
against  her  every  time  there  was  a  yellow-fever  scare  that  she 
determined  to  build  a  railroad  of  her  own  which  would  be  inde- 
pendent of  Houston  and  reach  the  interior  without  coming  to.  or 
through  Houston  at  all.  With  this  object  in  view  the  Santa 
Fe  was  built  past  Houston,  but  eventually  built  into  Houston 
from  Alvin. 

The  Katy,  or  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  system,  entering 
Houston  from  the  northwest,  is  one  of  the  most  important  freight 
and  passenger  lines  in  Texas.  It  is  made  up  of  numerous  small 
lines,  bought  and  consolidated  to  form  one  strong  system.  From 


232  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

1880  to  1888,  the  Missouri  Pacific  Company  operated  under  a 
lease.  For  a  time,  as  already  noted,  the  Katy  controlled  the 
International  and  Great  Northern,  but  now  it  controls  less  than 
1,000  miles  in  Texas. 

The  Rock  Island  system  is  generally  regarded  as  being  allied 
with  the  Colorado  and  Southern  system.  Of  this  system  the  Trin- 
ity and  Brazos  Valley  line  was  formerly  the  mainstay  and  the  out- 
let to  Houston  and  the  Gulf.  That  line  maintains  general  offices 
in  Houston.  The  Rock  Island  people,  operating  largely  in  Okla- 
homa and  Kansas,  wanted  a  direct  line  for  shipment  of  grain  to 
the  Gulf,  and  the  Trinity  and  Brazos  Valley  trackage  was  the 
most  desirable  of  any  that  was  available.  When  the  Frisco  sep- 
arated from  the  Rock  Island,  it  built  a  Gulf  connecting  line 
through  Louisiana  to  Houston,  completed  in  1909,  and  absorbed 
the  Gulf  coast  line  to  Brownsville.  At  the  present  time  it  has 
no  other  local  connection.  The  section  of  country  that  it  seeks 
to  develop  lies  south  and  west  of  Houston.  A  traffic  manager 
makes  his  headquarters  here,  and  the  general  offices  of  the  road 
are  in  the  Binz  Building.  Its  lines  entering  Houston  are  the 
St.  Louis,  Brownsville  and  Mexican  line,  the  Frisco  Lines  east 
and  the  line  of  the  Houston  Belt  and  Terminal  Co.  The  B.  F. 
Yoakum  interests  are  generally  considered  as  controlling  these 
roads. 

The  Houston  Belt  and  Terminal  Railroad  Company,  owned 
and  controlled  by  the  Gulf,  Colorado  and  Santa  Fe,  the  Frisco 
lines  in  Texas,  the  St.  Louis,  Brownsville  and  Mexican  and  the 
Trinity  and  Brazos  Valley  railroads,  was  organized  in  June, 
1906.  It  is  strictly  a  Houston  enterprise  and  all  material  used 
in  its  construction  was  bought,  so  far  as  possible,  in  Houston. 
Its  new  depot  is  one  of  the  handsomest  structures  of  the  kind  in 
the  country.  It  is  a  three-story,  steel-frame  building  of  Doric 
architecture.  Its  exterior  is  faced  with  St.  Louis  red  brick  and 
its  interior  is  finished  in  Italian  marble.  The  building  fronts 
on  Crawford  Street,  250  feet  between  Texas  and  Prairie  Aven- 
ues, and  its  covered  platforms  and  its  sheds  extend  back  1,000 
feet.  Its  freight  depots  are  almost  equally  important. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  is  given  a  brief  summary  of  the 


Transportation  and  Communication  233 

railroad  history  of  Houston  from  the  earliest  date  to  the  present 
time,  and  while  it  shows  in  a  general  way  that  Houston  had 
much  to  do  with  formulating  and  perfecting  nearly  all  the  earlier 
plans,  it  does  not  show  how  vitally  important  was  the  work 
done  by  individual  Houstonians,  nor  does  it  show  the  clear  and 
intelligent  appreciation  of  the  magnitude  of  the  work  under- 
taken, possessed  by  the  pioneer  railroad  builders  in  Houston. 

Even  before  the  movement  for  the  construction  of  a  rail- 
road towards  the  North  had  taken  form,  and  while  the  whole 
question  had  scarcely  advanced  beyond  the  stage  of  intention, 
Houston  men  were  busy  devising  means  to  secure  more  •  rapid 
communication  with  the  interior  of  the  state.  On  February  7th, 
1850,  the  Brazos  Plank  Road  Company  was  incorporated.  Its 
incorporators  were :  E.  B.  Nichols,  Paul  Bremond,  Wm.  J. 
Hutchins,  W.  M.  Rice,  A.  S.  Ruthven,  B.  A.  Shepherd,  Thomas 
M.  Bagby,  James  H.  Stevens,  S.  L.  Allen,  William  A.  Van 
Alstyne,  A.  McGowan,  T.  W.  House,  Francis  Moore,  and  C. 
Evans. 

On  June  23,  1852,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  Capitol  Hotel, 
for  the  purpose  of  appointing  delegates  to  a  railroad  meeting  in 
Washington  County.  Judge  H.  F.  Allen  was.  chairman  and 
Henry  Sampson,  secretary,  of  the  Houston  meeting.  Five  dele- 
gates, J.  C.  Massie,  T.  M.  Bagby,  C.  Ennis,  A.  S.  Ruthven,  and 
Judge  Allen  were  appointed  to  represent  Houston  at  the  con- 
vention which  was  to  meet  at  Chappell  Hill  on  July  3.  Paul 
Bremond,  A.  J.  Burke,  W.  M.  Rice,  Abram  Groesbeck,  and 
Henry  Sampson,  were  appointed  a  corresponding  committee. 
The  following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

"Whereas,  the  citizens  of  Houston  are  duly  sensible  of 
the  present  importance  and  growing  necessity  of  greatly  increas- 
ing facilities  of  communication  and  transportation  with  those 
portions  of  the  state  whence  the  most  valuable  trade  of  said  city 
is  derived;  and 

"Whereas,  the  growth  of  population,  production  and  wealth 
in  the  interior  already  authorized  and  demand  the  expenditure 
of  capital  in  the  attainment  of  that  object ;  it  is,  therefore 

"Resolved: — That   the   city   of   Houston   will   do   its   part 


234  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

toward  any  system  of  internal  improvement  calculated  to  advance 
her  interests  and  facilitate  her  commerce  with  the  interior,  that 
may  be  found  practical  and  expedient. 

"Resolved: — That  this  meeting  is  fully  impressed  with  the 
conviction  that  the  trade  of  this  city  and  the  interests  of  the 
people  of  the  Brazos  and  Colorado  Valleys  demand  the  con- 
struction of  a  railroad  from  this  city  to  Austin,  the  capital  of 
the  state,  and  that  with  proper  exertion  and  the  aid  within  our 
reach,  the  construction  of  such  road  is  entirely  practicable. 

"Resolved: — That  the  citizens  of  Houston  will  gladly  co- 
operate with  the  people  of  Washington  County  and  of  .other 
counties,  in  the  proposed  mass  meeting  to  be  held  at  Chappell 
Hill,  July  3,  proximo,  and  that  delegates  be  sent  to  represent 
this  city  at  that  meeting." 

The  day  after  that  meeting  the  Telegraph,  while  strongly 
advocating  the  building  of  a  railroad,  also  urged  adhering  to 
the  idea  of  the  plank  road.  The  argument  it  used  was  that  the 
necessity  for  better  facilities  for  communication  with  the  interior 
was  a  present  and  pressing  need  and  one  that  could  not  be 
delayed.  It  stated  that  the  Plank  Road  Company,  chartered 
two  years  before,  already  had  about  23  miles  graded  and  that 
the  road  could  be  planked  and  thus  rendered  immediately  avail- 
able, at  very  small  cost.  It  then  pointed  out  that  a  charter 
could  not  be  obtained  for  a  railroad  under  three  years,  and  that 
the  charters  then  in  existence  were  worse  than  useless  because 
they  were  all  loaded  down  with  "tapping"  privileges  which  gave 
outsiders  the  right  to  tap  the  road  every  few  miles  with  lines 
only  a  few  miles  long,  thus  enabling  them  to  gain  the  advantage 
of  facilities  which  cost  the  originators  millions  of  dollars,  with- 
out rendering  any  return  benefit. 

However  neither  the  plank  road  nor  the  Chappell  Hill  dis- 
cussed railroad  was  ever  built,  nor  advanced  further  than  the 
•stage  of  agitation  and  talk.  The  graded  road  was  used,  just  as 
it  was,  and  unquestionably  did  good  service,  for  the  trade  of 
Houston  in  the  early  fifties  had  grown  to  no  mean  proportions. 
Had  the  merchants  of  that  day  been  less  unselfish,  or  rather 
less  far-seeing,  the  actual  construction  of  railroads  might  have 


Transportation  and  Communication  235 

been  longer  delayed  than  it  was.  As  to  Rome,  all  roads  led  to 
Houston,  and  the  people  of  the  interior  had  to  come  here  whether 
they  cared  to  do  so  or  not.  The  difficulties  of  transportation 
were  things  that  concerned  those  only  who  had  to  reach  the  only 
market  in  the  state,  and  relying  on  her  natural  advantages, 
Houston  could  afford  to  be  dilatory  about  furnishing  rapid 
transportation  to  her  less  fortunate  customers.  The  volume  of 
trade  was  very  great,  and  very  profitable.  An  idea  of  the  mag- 
nitude of  the  ox-wagon  trade,  and  the  number  of  those  engaged 
in  it  can  be  formed  from  reading  the  following  extract  from  an 
editorial  published  in  the  Telegraph,  May  2,  1855 : 

"The  editor  of  the  Panoplist  says,  if  he  were  called  on  to 
say  what  was  the  'peculiar  institution'  of  Houston,  he  would  say 
it  was  ox-teams  and  teamsters.  He  spoke  the  truth.  Ox-teams 
and  teamsters  have  been  the  pride  and  glory  of  this  city  for 
many  years.  Whatever  else  might  have  been  dispensed  with  as 
instruments  of  its  prosperity,  they  are  indispensable,  for  they 
form  the  connecting  link  between  the  merchant  and  the  planter, 
without  which  both  merchant  and  planter  could  do  nothing. 
They  have  a  position  in  this  great  and  growing  state  second  to 
no  other  interest,  and  they  stand  in  the  same  relation  to  the 
general  prosperity  that  railroads,  canals  and  steamboats  do  in 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 

"Not  less  than  4,000  bales  of  cotton  have  arrived  in  this 
city  in  the  last  two  weeks  on  ox-wagons,  giving  employment  to 
4,690  yoke  of  oxen  and  670  wagons  and  drivers.  Besides  the 
above  there  have  been  at  least  200  arrivals  of  wagons  freighted 
with  other  produce  than  cotton.  But  let  us  calculate  the  amount 
of  capital  and  industry  employed  in  handling  cotton  alone. 

"Last  year,  with  a  short  crop,  the  receipts  at  this  point  were 
in  round  numbers  38,000  bales.  The  loads  average  from  3  to  10 
bales,  according  to  the  roads,  but,  say,  an  average  of  6  bales  to 
the  wagon,  which  is  probably  over  the  mark,  then  there  were 
6,333  trips  required  for  last  year's  business.  Many  wagons 
make  from  four  to  six  trips  per  year.  At  an  average  of  four 
trips  there  were  1,566  wagons,  giving  employment  to  an  army 


236  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  teamsters  twice  as  large  as  the  number  of  men  engaged  in 
whipping  Mexico  at  San  Jacinto. 

"Each  of  these  wagons  require  on  an  average,  seven  yoke  of 
oxen,  which,  with  regular  teamsters,  are  changed  for  fresh 
cattle  several  times  each  year.  Wagoners  tell  us  that  it  requires 
a  fresh  team  as  they  are  almost  exclusively  fed  by  grazing  along 
the  road.  At  this  rate  it  requires,  in  round  numbers,  25,000 
yoke  of  oxen  for  the  year 's  business.  Oxen  are  worth  an  average 
of  $50  a  yoke.  Wagons,  complete,  $150  each.  The  capital 
engaged  was  as  follows : 

25,000  yoke  of  oxen  at  $50  a  yoke $1,250,000 

1,566  wagons  at  $150  each 234,900 


Making  a  total  of $1,484,900 

The  expense  of  a  trip  will  average  $40,  and  the  gross  amount 

of  freight  money  about  $100,  giving  the  result  of  the  business  as 

follows : 

Freight,  at  $100  per  trip  on  6,333  trips $633,300 

Less  expense,  $40  per  trip 253,320 


Net  profit  ...  $380,010 

' '  The  cotton  transported  last  year  was  fully  40  per  cent  less 
than  the  whole  transport  engaged  in  the  trade.  In  fact  the  up- 
freight  from  this  point  required  much  more  than  40  per  cent 
greater  transportation  than  the  cotton,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
corn,  sugar,  and  molasses,  hides,  skins,  etc.,  brought  to  this  mar- 
ket. There  must  be  considerably  more  than  two  million  dollars 
invested  in  transportation  to  and  from  Houston,  two-third?  of 
which  would  be  unnecessary  if  we  had  about  200  miles  of  rail- 
road ;  or,  in  other  words,  here  is  $1,300,000  that  might  be  invested 
in  railroads  to  great  advantage. 

' '  We  can  have  no  sort  of  transportation  without  capital,  and 
delay  investment  in  railroads  as  we  may,  a  similar  investment 
must  be  made  in  wagons  and  oxen,  which  means  that  in  about 
three  of  four  years  more  instead  of  2,000  wagons  we  will  require 
8,000,  at  a  cost  of  about  five  million  dollars.  Wagons  and  oxen 
last  about  five  years  and  when  worn  out  are  a  total  loss.  Rail- 


Transportation  and  Communication  •  237 

roads  can  be  constantly  repaired,  and  the  cost  of  repairs  in 
twenty  years  is  only  equal  to  the  original  investment.  These 
figures  are  merely  estimates,  but  they  are  approximately  correct 
and  they  serve  to  show  what  large  sums  of  money  are  being 
thrown  away  each  year  on  present  means  of  transportation. 

"We  hope  the  day  is  near  at  hand  when  railroads  will  be 
one  of  the  'peculiar  institutions'  of  this  city  and  of  the  state, 
when  the  ox  shall  give  way  to  the  iron  horse  which  travels  with 
twenty  times  the  speed  of  the  ox  and  carries  a  thousand  times 
its  burden. ' ' 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  charter  of  the  Houston 
and  Texas  Central  Railroad  was  fairly  bristling  with  "tapping" 
privileges,  the  handful  of  live  and  progressive  citizens  Of  Hous- 
ton determined  not  to  wait  until  the  old  charter  could  be  amended 
or  a  new  one  obtained,  but  to  go  ahead  and  begin  the  construction 
of  the  road  at  once.  These  pioneer  railroad  builders  were  Paul 
Bremond,  Wm.  R.  Baker,  Wm.  M.  Rice,  Cornelius  Ennis,  Wm. 
J.  Hutchins,  A.  S.  Ruthven,  B.  A.  Shepherd,  T.  W.  House,  W.  A. 
Van  Alstyne,  James  H.  Stevens,  and  Dr.  Francis  Moore.  Al- 
though these  men  were  the  leading  merchants,  bankers  and 
business  men  of  Houston,  not  one  of  them  was  wealthy,  measured 
by  the  standard  of  today,  and  it  is  highly  improbable  that  as 
much  capital  was  invested  in  the  railroad  when  the  first  steps 
were  taken  towards  its  construction,  as  would  be  required  for 
the  construction  of  a  modern  skyscraper.  They  had  what  proved 
to  be  about  as  powerful  as  capital,  an  unlimited  supply  of  grit 
and  determination.  Once  having  put  their  shoulders  to  the 
wheel,  all  thought  of  failure  or  weakness  was  abandoned. 

The  first  shovel  of  dirt  was  thrown  up  by  Mr.  Paul  Bremond 
on  January  1,  1853,  at  a  point  that  would  be  crossed  by  a  line 
continuing  Louisiana  Street  across  the  bayou,  near  where 
McGowan's  Foundry  stood.  A  contract  for  the  construction  thus 
begun  had  been  made,  but  before  the  road  reached  a  point  about 
where  the  old  city  limits  were,  the  contractor  threw  up  his  con- 
tract and  left  town.  As  soon  as  he  realized  the  magnitude  of  his 
undertaking,  he  quit.  Mr.  Bremond  had  never  had  the  slightest 
experience  as  a  contractor,  yet  he  did  not  hesitate,  but  promptly 


238  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

took  the  contract  himself.  It  was  not  long  before  every  dollar 
that  had  been  paid  into  the  treasury  was  gone  and  Mr.  Bre- 
mond  had  spent  his  own  fortune  and  stretched  his  credit  almost 
to  the  breaking  point,  and  yet  the  actual  laborers  were  not  paid. 
Sub-contractors  became  disgusted  and  quit.  The  laborers  became 
more  than  disgusted.  They  armed  themselves  with  clubs  and 
hunted  for  Mr.  Bremond,  going  in  gangs  on  Saturday  nights, 
and  individually  on  other  days  of  the  week.  They  attacked 
his  home  and  carried  away  his  fence  when  they  found  they 
could  not  get  him  -to  carry  away.  No  railroad  builder  ever  hao. 
so  strenuous  a  time  as  he.  Yet  he  was  not  discouraged.  He 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  build  that  road  and  he  did  it.  He  was 
not  an  orator ;  in  fact  he  was  no  speaker  at  all,  and  yet  on  the  few 
occasions  when  he  was  caught  by  the  outraged  laborers,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  talking  himself  out  of  "a  bad  fix,"  and  convinced  the 
laborers  that  he  was  the  best  friend  they  had  and  one  who  was 
acting  for  their  best  interest.  As  an  illustration  of  this  peculiar 
gift  as  a  conversationalist  in  that  special  line  the  following  story 
used  to  be  told : 

One  of  the  sub-contractors,  growing  weary  of  his  inability  to 
get  a  settlement  of  his  account,  went  to  one  of  the  leading  lawyers, 
and  after  explaining  all  its  details  placed  his  claim  in  his  hands 
for  collection.  The  lawyer  told  him  he  would  go  over  and  talk 
with  Mr.  Bremond.  "No,  you  keep  away  from  him,  for  it  will 
do  no  good  and  he  will  convince  you  that  I  owe  him  money  before 
he  gets  through,"  said  the  client.  The  lawyer  insisted  on  going 
anyway  and  told  the  contractor  to  wait  in  his  office  until  he 
came  back.  He  was  gone  for  quite  a  time  and  came  back  looking 
worried.  In  reply  to  a  question  as  to  what  he  thought  of  the 
case,  the  lawyer  blurted  out:  "I  think  you  have  treated  Bre- 
mond d d  badly  and  I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  your  case." 

"It  is  pleasant  to  recount  that  not  a  man  who  ever  trusted 
Mr.  Bremond,  willingly  or  through  compulsion,  ever  lost  a  cent. 
He  paid  everything  in  the  end  and  paid  it  willingly.  The  truth 
is  he  was  an  enthusiast,  he  looked  ahead  and  discounted  the 
future.  He  knew  what  he  could  do  if  given  time  and  assistance. 
He  had  faith  enough  to  invest  all  of  his  own  fortune,  and  a  large 


Transportation  and  Communication  239 

part  of  the  fortune  of  several  of  his  friends,  and  he  asked  only 
that  others  should  contribute  their  time  and  labor  to  the  same  end. 

It  took  Paul  Bremond  five  years  of  actual  warfare  and  con- 
centrated trouble  and  discord,  to  build  fifty  miles  of  road.  But 
when  the  road  had  reached  Hempstead,  the  worst  of  its  troubles 
were  over.  The  rich  and  rather  densely  settled  countries  near 
there  became  at  once  tributary  to  the  road  and  it  began  to  be 
something  of  what  its  projectors  had  claimed  it  would  be. 
Thirty  miles  more  were  built  in  the  next  two  years,  and  then 
the  great  Civil  War  broke  out  and  stopped  everything.  How- 
ever, the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  road  had  grown  to  good 
proportions,  had  reached  about  to  the,  then,  center  of  production 
and  was  fairly  and  safely  on  its  feet. 

While  the  early  fifties  seem  to  have  brought  about  a  realiza- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Houston  of  the  fact  that  the  rail- 
roads were  necessary  to  bring  the  products  of  the  state  here, 
railroads  were  also  equally  necessary  to  carry  them  to  tide  water. 
The  fact  that  the  facilities  afforded  by  Buffalo  Bayou  were  inad- 
equate and  that  these  must  be  added  to  become  apparent.  With 
that  object  in  view,  a  railroad  meeting  composed  of  leading 
citizens  of  Galveston  and  Houston,  was  held  at  the  Capitol  Hotel 
in  1852,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  construction  of  a  line 
of  railroad  from  Houston  to  Galveston.  Hon.  Hamilton  Stewart, 
mayor  of  Galveston  was  selected  as  chairman,  Messrs.  M.  B. 
Menard,  Willard  Richardson  and  Hiram  Close  of  Galveston ;  Col. 
D.  J.  Landes,  of  Washington  County ;  Hon.  David  G.  Burnett, 
Frances  Moore,  Jr.,  and  Hon.  Ashbel  Smith,  of  Harris  County, 
as  vice-presidents,  and  William  R.  Baker,  of  Houston,  and  H. 
H.  Smith,  of  Galveston,  as  secretaries.  A  committee  of  thirteen 
was  appointed  to  outline  a  plan  of  campaign,  and  to  take  steps 
towards  a  thorough  organization.  Immediately  after  the  adjourn- 
ment, Houston  subscribed  $300,000  towards  the  building  of 
the  road,  and  Galveston  did  equally  as  well.  However,  it  was  not 
until  two  years  later  that  actual  construction  was  begun,  and 
the  road  was  not  completed  until  1858.  This  road  is  now  known 
as  the  Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson  Railroad  and  forms 
part  of  the  Gould  system  of  roads.  It  is  one  of  the  best  pieces 


240  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  railroad  in  the  United  States,  and  one  of  the  best  paying  rail- 
roads in  the  country  as  well. 

Houston  having  thus  secured  a  road  to  the  North,  one  to  the 
South  and  one  to  the  West,  Mr.  Bremond,  (the  same  man  who 
built  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central),  conceived  the  idea  of  a 
great  east  and  west  line,  one  that  would  traverse  the  richest 
sections  of  the  state.  For  a  long  time  he  tried  to  interest  out- 
side capitalists  as  well  as  those  at  home,  in  his  plans,  but  failed. 
Then,  realizing  what  he  had  accomplished  before,  he  determined 
to  build  the  road  himself  with  his  own  resources.  His  idea  was 
to  build  a  line  from  Shreveport  to  Houston  and  from  Houston 
to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  He  concluded  to  build  the  Shreve- 
port end  first,  and  accordingly,  on  July  4,  1876,  he  threw  the 
first  spade  of  earth  for  his  road  at  a  point  near  the  old  Texas 
and  New  Orleans  depot,  in  the  Fifth  ward.  Mr.  Paul  Bremond 
was  president  of  the  road,  and  his  son-in-law,  Major  S.  C. 
Timpson  was  secretary  and  treasurer.  Mr.  Bremond  again  had 
a  strenuous  time  in  railroad  building,  but  profiting  by  his  for- 
mer experience,  and  above  all  by  the  reputation  he  had  earned 
then  of  carrying  out  anything  that  he  undertook,  he  soon  got 
everything  moving  along  smoothly  and  built  the  road  to  Shreve- 
port and  constructed  about  twenty  miles  of  the  line  to  the  west 
before  his  death.  For  some  reason  the  western  branch  was 
never  completed. 

A  fact  not  generally  appreciated  is  that  of  the  seventeen 
railroads  centering  at  Houston,  there  is  not  one  that  does  not 
make  Houston  its  terminus.  There  are  no  through  trains  enter- 
ing or  leaving  Houston.  There  are  through  Pullman  coaches 
and  passenger  cars,  but  no  through  freight  trains,  and  all  trains 
leaving  here  are  made  up  in  Houston. 

Houston  is  the  greatest  railroad  center  in  the  Southwest,  and 
there  are  more  railroad  employees  paid  off  in  Houston  every 
month  than  at  any  other  point  in  the  Southwest.  There  are  2,843 
trainmen  and  clerks  who  are  paid  off  here  and  in  addition  to 
these  there  are  3,000  men  employed  in  the  two  great  railroad 
shops  here,  which  brings  the  total  number  of  employees  to  5,843, 


Transportation  and  Communication  241 

and  the  amount  of  salaries  and  wages  paid  them  is,  in  round 
numbers,  $7,000,000  annually. 

The  International  Railroad  is  preparing  to  move  its  general 
shops  to  Houston  soon,  which  will  greatly  increase  these  figures, 
but  at  present  only  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  and  the 
Southern  Pacific  roads  have  their  shops  here.  These  two  roads 
have  invested  $1,042,216  in  their  plants,  pay  out  $1,349,200  in 
wages  and  do  $2,744,722  worth  of  repair  and  construction  work 
each  year. 

Their  shops  are  equipped  with  the  best  and  latest  machinery, 
and  can  turn  out  at  a  moment's  notice  everything  needed  in  car 
or  locomotive  construction  or  repairing.  They  have  machines  for 
making  the  dainty  tacks  for  the  silk  curtains  in  the  palace  car 
and  machines  for  making  the  iron  beams  and  castings  that  go 
in  the  frames  of  such  cars  and  weigh  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  pounds.  As  a  matter  of  fact  neither  shop  makes 
locomotives  and  yet  each  has  all  the  facilities  for  making  them 
and  could  if  it  were  necessary,  turn  out  one  locomotive  each  day. 

The  railroads  own  and  operate  450  miles  of  track  in  Harris 
County  and  the  money  invested  in  them  is  $20,000,000,  over 
one-half  of  which  is  invested  in  Houstonian  terminal  facilities, 
shops  and  offices.  An  idea  of  the  immensity  of  the 
traffic  can  be  formed  from  the  statement  that  for  the 
fiscal  year  closed  June  31,  1911,  90,000  trains  were 
handled  in  and  out  of  Houston,  and  that  the  freight  handled  by, 
those  trains  footed  up  very  nearly  half  a  billion  tons.  Of:  the 
90,000  trains  slightly  more  than  one-half  were  passenger  trains, 
and,  excluding  excursions  and  special  occasions,  it  is  estimated 
that  these  trains  handled  over  400,000  regular  passengers  during 
the  year.  Seven  roads  have  their  headquarters  here,  while  all 
the  big  systems  are  represented  in  the  city.  The  newest  acqui- 
sition is  the  International  and  Great  Northern,  which  has  just 
moved  its  general  offices  here.  These  offices  include  the  following 
departments:  General  freight  and  passenger  office,  auditor's 
office,  treasurer's  office,  general  claims  office,  general  attorney's 
office,  and  the  offices  of  the  several  division  superintendents. 
Judge  T.  J.  Freeman,  the  new  president,  during  all  the  time  he 


242  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

was  receiver  of  the  road  maintained  general  offices  in  Houston. 
Judge  Freeman's  ability  has  rescued  the  I.  &  G.  N.  from  bank- 
ruptcy and  made  it  one  of  the  best  equipped  roads  in  Texas. 
Judge  Freeman  is  in  the  first  rank  of  railroad  officials  in  Amer- 
ica and  is  one  of  the  three  great  builders  Texas  had  given  to  the 
railroad  world.  The  other  two  are  B.  F.  Yoakum  and  Judge  R. 
S.  Lovett. 

The  coming  of  the  I.  &  G.  N.  and  the  Frisco  to  Houston  has 
added  about  six  hundred  well-paid  employees  to  Houston's  rail- 
road population.  The  officers  of  the  Frisco  that  came  to  Houston 
in  1911  were  those  of  the  vice-president  and  general  manager, 
auditor,  treasurer,  car  service,  purchasing  agent  and  stationer. 

Even  before  the  International  and  Great  Northern  road 
moved  its  general  offices  to  Houston  it  was  doing  an  immense 
business  here  and  this  point  was  to  all  intent  and  purpose  its 
principal  point  in  Texas.  Its  coming  brings  about  250  men 
and  their  families  and  swells  the  pay  roll  of  the  railroads  here 
an  additional  half  million  annually.  The  company  owns  sev- 
eral desirable  places  in  the  city,  where  their  own  office  building 
can  be  constructed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  general  offices, 
but  it  is  likely  the  building  will  be  on  San  Jacinto  Street, 
where  the  freight  office  of  the  company  is  now  located.  This 
building  was  originally  'constructed  with  the  object  in  view  of 
adding  other  stories.  At  present  the  offices  are  located  in  rented 
quarters. 

The  Sunset  Central  system  is  the  largest  railway  system 
under  one  management  in  Texas.  Thornwell  Fay  is  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  manager.  It  operates  four  companies  embrac- 
ing six  lines.  These  railroad  companies  have  an  assessed  val- 
uation in  Harris  County  of  $5,611,926,  of  which  $2,424,770 
is  located  in  the  city  of  Houston.  The  receipts  from  the  sale 
of  tickets  to  passengers  at  the  Houston  station  during  the  fiscal 
year  closed  in  June,  1911,  were'  $4,828,053.47.  The  principal 
terminal  of  the  company  is  the  Grand  Central  passenger  sta- 
tion on  Washington  Avenue.  Thousands  of  passenger  trains  are 
operated  in  and  out  of  this  depot  every  year  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  people  pass  through  its  gates. 


Transportation  and  Communication  243 

The  freight  terminals  are  north  of  the  passenger  depot,  near 
the  extensive  system  of  shops.  These  terminals  have  thirty-two 
miles  of  trackage  and  enormous  sheds  and  warehouses.  Nearly 
five  hundred  yard  clerks,  switchmen  and  others  are  employed 
in  these  yards,  working  in  two  shifts,  one  night  and  the  other 
day,  in  order  to  keep  up  with  the  enormous  traffic. 

All  the  Sunset  Central  general  offices  are  now  located  in 
their  new  nine-story  building,  corner  of  Franklin  and -Travis 
Street.  This  building  has  just  been  completed  at  a  cost  of  $512,- 
793  and  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city. 

The  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  Railroad  Company  of 
Texas  is  also  making  extensive  improvements.  The  company  has 
already  spent  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  improving  its 
property  and  has  not  yet  completed  its  task.  Additions  have 
been  made  to  its  terminals  in  the  way  of  increased  warehouse 
and  track  facilities,  the  latter  having  been  doubled,  in  order  to 
care  for  its  large  and  rapidly  increasing  business.  A  building 
has  been  constructed  for  the  locomotive  department,  another  for 
the  car  department,  artesian  wells  have  been  sunk,  so  as  to  give 
the  company  its  own  water-supply,  and  many  other  improve- 
ments have  been  made.  The  company  now  has  property  in 
Harris  County  assessed  at  $510,710.  During  the  past  year  the 
pay  rolls  were:  in  local  shops,  $31,081.90;  in  offices,  $21,901.55; 
in  operating  department,  $36,963.45. 

The  San  Antonio  and  Arkansas  Pass  Railroad  runs  its  trains 
into  the  Grand  Central  depot.  The  company  owns  property  in 
Harris  County  amounting  to  $593,150.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
important  of  Houston's  railroads.  Its  main  offices  are  in  San 
Antonio,  but  it  keeps  a  good  force  here.  Its  local  pay  rolls  for 
1910  were :  in  freight  and  passenger  departments,  $19,927.25 ; 
shops  and  roundhouses,  $11,326.15;  in  yards  and  to  train  men, 
$20,312.59 ;  to  all  others,  $9,573.30. 

The  Gulf,  Colorado  and  Santa  Fe  road  was  one  of  Houston 's 
largest  industries  but  with  the  advent  of  the  Houston  Belt  and 
Terminal  Company  the  road  leased  all  its  Houston  property  to 
that  company  and  became  one  of  its  tenants.  The  property  of 
the  Santa  Fe  in  Houston  is  valued  at  $1,300,000.  The  only 


244  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

employees  of  the  company  in  Houston  are  freight  and  passenger 
agents.  The  road  has  more  than  a  passing  interest  in  the  Hous- 
ton Belt  and  Terminal  Company,  since  the  vice-president  of  the 
Santa  Fe  is  also  president  of  the  Terminal  Company.  The 
Gulf,  Colorado  and  Santa  Fe  operates  about  8,000  passenger 
and  freight  trains  in  and  out  of  Houston  each  year. 

Col.  J.  G.  Tracey  and  two  or  three  associates  organized  a 
Houston  Belt  and  Terminal  line  in  1882.  They  had  surveys 
mad$,  obtained  some  rights  of  way,  and  then,  for  unknown 
causes,  abandoned  the  enterprise.  Nothing  further  was  ever 
done  towards  constructing  such  a  line,  until  in  June,  1905,  the 
Houston  Belt  and  Terminal  Line  was  organized.  The  company 
began  active  operations  at  once  and  expended  more  than  $5,000,- 
000  for  the  completion  of  a  system  of  railroad  terminals  for  both 
freight  and  passenger  business  designed  to  handle  all  the  ter- 
minal business  of  Houston  if  necessary. 

Four  roads,  the  Santa  Fe,  the  Frisco,  the  Trinity  and  Brazos 
Valley  and  the  Brownsville  are  joint  owners  and  are  now  using 
the  terminal  facilities.  The  passenger  station,  described  briefly 
elsewhere,  is  very  handsome  and  cost  over  half  a  million  dollars, 
the  marble  used  in  its  interior  decoration  costing  $45,000.  The 
whole  system  is  constructed  on  scientific,  and  practical  lines  so 
that  it  is  perfectly  equipped  for  the  objects  for  which  it  was 
designed.  The  depot  building  was  dedicated  March  1,  1911,  and 
has  been  in  active  use  since  that  date. 

The  Frisco  has  made  many  improvements  during  the  last 
year,  the  greatest  being  the  establishment  of  its  through  line  to 
New  Orleans.  This  is  one  of  the  fastest  and  most  thoroughly 
equipped  trains  in  the  United  States.  It  has  oil-burning  loco- 
motives, steel  passenger  trains,  cars  and  baggage  coaches  all 
equipped  with  electric  lights,  fans,  etc.  The  distance  between 
Houston  and  New  Orleans,  360  miles  is  covered  in  twelve  hours. 
The  Frisco  has  a  network  of  small  and  great  lines  in  Texas  and 
Louisiana,  all  tributary  to  Houston.  All  the  traffic  of  the  Frisco 
in  Houston  is  handled  by  the  Terminal  Company,  but  the  road 
has  a  force  of  about  300  office  employees  and  their  pay  roll  foots 
up  about  $360,000  per  year.  Mr.  W.  C.  Conner,  Jr.,  the  traffic 


.Transportation  and  Communication  245 

manager,  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  successful  of  railroad 
officers  and  has  shining  prospects  in  the  railroad  world. 

Houston's  seventeen  railroads  are  the  following:  Houston 
and  Texas  Central;  Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Antonio; 
Texas  and  New  Orleans ;  Beaumont,  Sour  Lake  and  Western ; 
Houston,  East  and  "West  Texas ;  International  and  Great  North- 
ern (Ft.  Worth  Division)  ;  International  and  Great  Northern ; 
Trinity  and  Brazos  Valley ;  San  Antonio  and  Arkansas  Pass ; 
Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Antonio  (Victoria  Division)  ; 
Gulf,  Colorado  and  Santa  Fe;  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas; 
International  and  Great  Northern  (Columbia  Division)  ;  St. 
Louis,  Brownsville  and  Mexico;  Galveston,  Houston  and  Hen- 
derson; Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Antonio  (Galveston 
Division)  ;  Texas  Transportation  Company. 

It  is  rather  remarkable  that  with  all  their  enterprise  and 
public  spirit  the  people  of  Houston  made  but  few  efforts  to 
improve  the  navigation  of  Buffalo  Bayou  in  the  early  days.  As 
already  noted  the  Republic  had  made  an  appropriation  for  the 
improvement  of  the  rivers  and  harbors  of  Texas,  but  no  one 
seems  to  have  thought  of  making  use  of  any  of  this  appropri- 
ation for  the  improvement  of  the  bayou.  Newell,  in  his  history 
of  the  Revolution  in  Texas  thus  describes  the  bayou  in  1 838 :  "  It 
is  a  very  singular  water-course,  without  any  current  except  as 
caused  by  the  tides  of  the  sea;  very  deep,  and  navigable  from 
its  junction  with  the  San  Jacinto  to  its  forks  at  Houston,  for 
boats  of  any  draft  of  water,  though  too  narrow  to  admit  those 
of  the  largest  class.  The  soil  upon  its  banks  is  generally 'light 
and  sandy." 

The  Cayuga,  later  called  the  Branch  T.  Archer,  was  the 
name  of  one  of  the  first  steamboats  to  reach  Houston.  The 
Cayuga  was  brought  to  Texas  by  John  R.  Harris  and  was  under 
command  of  Captain  Isaac  Batterson.  It  was  intended  originally 
to  run  on  the  Trinity  River  but  was  changed  to  the  bayou  trade. 
Soon  after  that  the  Constitution  was  added  to'  the  service.  She 
came  up  to  Houston  but  was  so  long  she  could  not  be  turned 
around,  and  had  to-  be  backed  down  to  Constitution  bend  in  the 
bayou.  No  doubt  that  is  the  way  this  big  bend  acquired  its  name. 


246  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Another  early  boat  was  the  San  Jacinto,  which  sank  in  the 
bayou  near  where  Clinton  now  is,  and  still  another  was  the 
Henry  A.  Jones  which  was  burned  in  Galveston  Bay  in  1839, 
with  some  loss  of  life.  A  year  or  so  later  the  Farmer  blew  up, 
killing  Captain  Webb  and  Henry  Sylvester.  The  Star  State 
plied  on  the  bayou  in  the  early  forties  and  met  with  several 
accidents.  Once  it  caught  fire  and  the  passengers  escaped  with 
difficulty.  Mrs.  Peter  W.  Gray,  of  Houston  jumped  overboard 
and  was  rescued  with  difficulty. 

The  Billow,  Capt.  James  Montgomery,  brought  to  Houston 
the  first  locomotive  for  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad. 
It  was  unloaded  at  the  mouth  of  White  Oak  Bayou  at  the  foot 
of  Main  Street  and  run  onto  a  temporary  track.  Capt.  Charles 
Burton,  afterwards  superintendent  of  the  railroad  took  charge 
of  the  locomotive. 

The  Charles  Fowler  had  the  first  calliope  ever  heard  in 
Houston.  On  her  first  trip  to  Houston  she  stuck  at  the  G.  and  H. 
Railroad  bridge  over  the  bayou  and  some  of  its  piling  had  to  be 
cut  away  to  admit  of  her  passage.  The  Silver  Cloud,  laden 
with  fruit,  sank  at  Harrisburg. 

At  different  times  there  were  in  the  Imyou  trade,  the  Ida 
Reese,  the  Desmonia,  the  Old  Reliable,  the  J.  H.  Sterrett,  the 
Erie  No.  3,  a  stern-wheeler,  the  Erie  No.  12,  also  a  stern-wheeler, 
the  Wren  and  the  Shreveport.  The  Diana,  Captain  Pat  Christian, 
and  the  Lizzie,  Captain  A.  Connors,  two  magnificent  passenger 
boats  ceased  running  in  1877.  The  Diana  and  the  T.  M.  Bagby 
were  built  in  Ohio  for  Captain  Sterrett,  the  best  known  steam- 
boat man  in  Texas,  in  1870,  and  arrived  hero  the  same  year. 
The  Diana  was  170  feet  long,  32  feet  beam  and  5  feet  hold.  She 
bad  three  boilers,  two  flues  and  a  full  length  cabin.  Her  cost 
was  $33,000  and  she  and  the  Bagby  were  as  fine  boats  as  any  that 
ran  on  the  Mississippi,  which  river  was  said  to  have  the  finest 
in  the  world. 

It  is  strange,  but  true,  that  the  first  great  assistance  Hous- 
ton had  in  bringing  the  question  of  bayou  improvement  before 
the  public  came  from  Galveston,  its  bitterest  commercial  rival. 
Four  or  five  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  when  the  railroads 


Transportation  and  Communication  247 

had  been  reorganized  and  the  commerce  of  the  state  had  grown 
to  large  proportions,  the  Houston  people,  naturally,  began  agitat- 
ing the  question  of  securing  better  navigation  of  Buffalo  Bayou 
so  as  to  add  to  Houston's  facilities  for  handling  the  rapidly 
increasing  trade.  At  first  Houston  stood  alone  in  making  its 
fight.  The  people  of  the  interior  were  indifferent,  while  those 
of  Galveston  ridiculed  the  idea  of  Houston  ever  securing  naviga- 
tion of  its  crooked  bayou  for  ocean-going  vessels.  Unfortunate- 
ly for  Galveston  there  was  at  that  time  in  that  city  a  wharf 
company  that  had  an  absolute  monopoly  of  the  whole  city  water 
•front,  and  that  company  was  short-sighted  enough  to  take  full 
advantage  of  the  monopoly.  It  made  its  rates  very  high  and 
acted  very  arbitrarily.  It  cost  $5  per  bale  to  take  cotton  from 
Houston  to  Galveston  by  rail  and  then  the  Wharf  Company  took 
a  whack  at  it  and  there  was  a  big  hole  knocked  in  the  farmer's 
or  shipper's  profit  by  the  time  the  cotton  got  on  shipboard  afte~ 
leaving  Houston. 

Houston  was  not  slow  about  seizing  this  strong  argument 
placed  in  her  hands  by  the  Wharf  Company  and  began  a  cam- 
paign of  education  to  teach  the  people  of  the  interior  that  they 
were  far  more  interested  in  securing  deep  water  at  Houston  than 
was  Houston  itself.  They  were  shown  that  could  vessels  come 
to  Houston  to  discharge  their  cargoes  and  take  on  new  ones,  the 
fifty  miles  haul  to  and  from  Galveston,  and  the  excessive  charges 
of  the  Galveston  Wharf  Company  would  be  things  of  the  past 
and  millions  of  dollars  would  be  saved  by  the  interior  people 
annually. 

The  Houston  Direct  Navigation  Company,  for  the  improve-' 
ment  and  navigation  of  the  bayou  had  been  formed  in  1869,  but 
by  1870  the  campaign  of  education  had  so  far  progressed  that 
the  question  was  no  longer  a  local  one,  in  any  sense  of  the  word, 
but  was  state-wide.  The  Navigation  Company  continued  the 
work  of  deepening  the  bayou  and  began  the  digging  of  a  chan- 
nel across  Morgan's  Point.  The  city  had,  through  assistance 
given  the  Navigation  Company,  spent  about  $230,000  on  this 
work,  when  the  Galveston  Wharf  Company  again  came  to  its 
assistance  in  the  most  unexpected  way.  The  assistance  was 


248  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

real  and  of  great  value,  though  it  was  entirely  unintentional  on 
the  part  of  the  Wharf  Company. 

Charles  Morgan,  the  president  and  chief  owner  of  the 
Morgan  Steamship  line,  that  for  years  controlled  the  ocean  carry- 
ing trade  between  New  Orleans  and  Texas  ports,  asked  the  Gal- 
veston  Wharf  Company  for  better  facilities  and  better  rates  than 
were  given  him  at  that  time.  The  company  turned  down  his 
request  and  treated  him  with  contempt.  He  threatened  to  come 
to  Houston  with  his  ships  unless  they  treated  him  more  reason- 
ably. They  hooted  at  the  idea  and  told  him  to  go  ahead  and  do 
whatever  he  pleased.  He  did  go  ahead.  He  purchased  Hous-' 
ton's  stock  in  the  Navigation  Company,  put  his  engineers  and 
a  big  dredging  force  to  work,  and  completed  the  canal  through 
Morgan's  Point.  The  great  storm  of  1875  destroyed  his  fleet 
of  small  vessels  and  a  great  many  workmen  were  drowned.  But 
work  was  resumed  within  thirty  days  and  continued  until  the 
cut-off  through  Morgan's  Point  was  completed.  A  railroad  was 
built  from  Houston  to  Clinton,  a  point  on  Buffalo  Bayou  about 
ten  miles  by  land,  and  for  a  few  years  the  Morgan  steamers  gave 
Galveston  the  go-by  and  came  directly  to  Clinton.  Then  the 
Wharf  Company  at  Galveston  realized  the  error  of  its  way, 
repented  and  gave  Morgan  whatever  he  wanted  and  he  discon- 
tinued his  Houston  steamers.  However,  he  had  demonstrated 
what  could  be  done  and  there  was  a  popular  demand  on  Congress 
to  take  charge  of  and  develop  this  important  waterway,  which 
had  such  brilliant  promise  for  the  future. 

In  the  late  seventies  a  bill  was  introduced  in  Congress  for 
the  purchase  of  the  Buffalo  Ship  Channel  by  the  United  States 
Government,  with  the  view  of  opening  it  as  a  general  highway. 
A  corps  of  engineers  was  *  sent  by  the  Government  to  inspect  the 
work  already  done.  They  reported  that  twelve  feet  of  water,  as  an 
average  depth  of  the  channel,  to  the  foot  of  Main  Street  in 
Houston,  could  be  had.  The  condition  of  the  proposed  sale  of 
the  channel  to  the  Government  by  Morgan  was  that  the  Gov- 
ernment should  refund  to  him  the  amount  expended  by  him  in 
the  work  and  carry  out  the  general  terms  of  the  undertaking  as 
accepted  by  him  when  he  took  over  the  channel  from  the  Buffalo 


Transportation  and  Communication  .      249 

Bayou  Ship  Canal  Company.  One  of  the  conditions  of  the 
transfer  was  that  the  work  would  be  completed  to  the  foot  of 
Main  Street  as  soon  as  practicable.  The  Ship  Channel  was 
assumed  to  extend  from  Clinton  to  Red  Fish  Bar.  From  Red 
Fish  Bar  to  Bolliver,  the  Government  had  done  work  under 
various  appropriations,  the  last  of  which  had  been  $147,000. 
From  Clinton  to  Boliver  the  channel  varied  in  depth  from  14 
to  30  feet,  and  an  inspection  in  1880  showed  that  the  channel 
through  Morgan's  Point  and  Red  Fish  Bar  had  deepened  and 
widened  through  natural  causes. 

On  the  old  channel  the  Direct  Navigation  Company 
had  expended  about  $200,000  before  it  had  transferred  the  work 
to  Morgan.  After  the  transfer,  Morgan  expended  about  $700,- 
000  more  in  bringing  the  work  to  Clinton,  and  had  expended 
about  $125,000  in  making  improvements  at  Clinton.  There  was  a 
long  delay  and  negotiations  were  not  closed  until  1891  and  the 
money  was  paid  to  Morgan  and  the  channel  through  Morgan's 
Point  was  thrown  open  to  the  public  on  May  4,  1892. 

•  The  work  of  the  Government  on  the  Houston  Ship  Channel 
has  been  continuous  since  the  day  it  took  charge.  Each  Congress, 
with  one  exception  when  no  river  and  harbor  bill  was  passed, 
has  made  a  liberal  appropriation  for  the  work.  The  bayou  has 
been  made  straighter  by  the  removal  of  sharp  curves,  the  stream 
has  been  widened  and  deepened  by  dredging  and  the  bayou, 
always  naturally  deep,  has  been  put  in  first  class  condition.  If 
all  the  channel  were  as  easy  of  improvement  as  the  bayou,  the 
problem  would  have  been  solved  long  ago.  The  main  trouble 
exists  at  one  or  two  points  in  Galveston  Bay.  Red  Fish  and 
Morgan's  Point,  involving  a  stretch  of  channel  about  twelve 
miles  in  extent,  are  the  chief  points  on  which  the  work  must 
be  concentrated.  At  these  points  the  sand  is  shifting  and  almost 
as  fast  as  a  channel  is  deepened  it  is  filled  up  by  the  sand.  The 
proper  solution  of  the  problem,  so  the  engineers  say,  is  to  con- 
fine the  currents  and  tides  that  sweep  over  the  channel  at  these 
points,  so  as  to  direct  them  along  the  channel  and  thus  make 
them  do  the  work  of  keeping  the  channel  clear.  To  do  thi-s  long 
and  expensive  bulk-heading  will  be  required.  When  this  is 


250  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

done  there  is  no  reason  why  the  large  vessels  that  enter  Galveston 
Bay  cannot  come  direct  to  the  Houston  Turning  B?^in. 

The  whole  thing  is  simply  a  question  of  money.  The 
Government  recognized  this  when,  in  1910,  Congress  passed  a 
bill  appropriating  $1,250,000  for  the  development  of  the  Ship 
Channel,  on  condition  that  Houston  would  raise  a  similar  amount. 
So  soon  as  this  became  known,  officially,  Mayor  Rice  of  Houston, 
consulted  with  the  Harris  County  Commissioners,  with  the 
result  that  the  Houston  Navigation  District  was  formed.  An 
election  was  held  and  the  proposition  to  have  the  Navigation  Dis- 
trict issue  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $1,250,000  was  carried  over- 
whelmingly in  1911,  and  Houston's  future  as  a  deep-water  port 
was  assured. 

Because  the  Government  engineers  have  declared  that  it 
will  cost  two  and  one-half  million  dollars  to  complete 
the  Ship  Channel,  there  seems  to  be  an  impression,  even  in 
Houston,  that  a  vast  amount  of  work  yet  remains  to  be  done 
before  ocean-going  vessels  can  make  use  of  the  channel  regularly. 
That  is  a  mistaken  idea.  A  big  work  will  have  to  be  done,  but 
its  magnitude  is  more  in  the  way  of  expense  than  anything  else. 
There  is  very  little  difficulty  about  it.  It  is  expensive  because 
about  twelve  miles  of  the  channel  will  have  to  be  bulk-headed 
to  protect  the  channel  from  shifting  sands  at  Morgan's  Point 
and  Red  Fish  Bar,  or  reef.  The  bayou  itself  from  Morgan's 
Point  to  the  Turning  Basin,  is  wide  enough  and  deep  enough  to 
admit  of  the  safe  passage  of  large  steamships  of  18  to  20  feet 
draught,  while  the  channel  in  the  bay  from  Red  Fish  Bar  to  the 
end  of  the  jetties  in  the  gulf  is  equally  safe  for  the  same  class 
of  vessels.  One  or  two  large  steamers  have  already  made  the 
trip  to  the  turning  basin,  safely.  The  Revenue  Cutter  Windom, 
the  Steamship  Disa  and  the  Steamship  Mercator,  the  latter 
250  feet  in  length,  have  made  successful  trips  from  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  to  the  Houston  Turning  Basin,  thus  demonstrating  that 
the  Ship  Channel  is  an  actual  fact  and  not  a  theory.  It  is  well 
known  that  steamships  are  the  most  timid  things  in  the  world. 
They  take  no  chances  of  getting  aground  or  of  being  detained  in 
any  way,  for  with  them  time  is  literally  money.  Under  these 


Transportation  and  Communication  251 

circumstances  and  conditions  it  will  be  difficult  to  get  regular 
lines  of  steamers  established  until  the  channel  is  placed  in  such 
condition  that  it  will  be  absolutely  safe  at  all  times  and  under 
all  conditions,  as  it  will  be  when  approved  improvements  are 
completed. 

The  channel  in  its  present  condition  is  used  and  has  been 
used  for  years,  and  an  immense  traffic  goes  on  over  its  waters. 
Numerous  small  boats  ply  the  channel  regularly,  while  tug- 
drawn  barges  carry  thousands  of  bales  of  cotton  and  other  pro- 
duce, which  swell  the  value  of  the  commerce  to  millions  of  dol- 
lars annually.  Aside  from  the  actual  and  tangible  profits 
derived  by  Houston  people  from  the  bayou  trade  and  commerce, 
there  is  a  greater  one,  in  the  fact  that  having  this  outlet  to  the 
sea  gives  Houston  all  the  benefits  of  water  rates. 

When  the  S.  S.  Disa  came  to  the  Turning  Basin  on  No- 
vember 8,  1909,  all  the  newspapers  stated  that  she  was  the  first 
ocean-going  vessel  to  come  up  Buffalo  Bayou.  Such  was  not  the 
case.  In  the  spring  of  1863  a  good  sized  steamship  ran  the 
blockade  at  Galveston  and  Buffalo  Bayou  being  out  of  its  banks 
because  of  a  great  spring  flood,  the  steamer  came  directly  to 
Houston  and  discharged  her  cargo  of  arms  and  ammunition  at 
the  foot  of  Fannin  Street.  She  then  took  on  a  cargo  of  cotton, 
shipped  by  T.  W.  House,  Sr.,  returned  to  Galveston  and  ran 
the  blockade  again.  Unfortunately  the  name  of  this  blockade- 
runner  has  not  been  preserved. 

The  first  street  railroad  company  to  operate  in  Houston, 
was  a  local  concern  backed  by  local  capital,  which  was  organized 
under  a  charter  granted  by  the  Legislature,  August  6,  1870,  and 
known  as  the  Houston  City  Street  Railway  Company.  A  fran- 
chise was  granted  to  this  company  in  1873  by  the  city  council. 
The  stockholders  were  T.  W.  House,  E.  W.  Cave,  J.  T.  Brady, 
and  William  Brady.  About  5y2  miles  of  track  was  laid  by  1874 
and  the  road  was  operated  continuously  until  1883.  The  com- 
pany had  the  field  all  to  itself  for  awhile,  but  in  1881  the  Bayou 
City  Street  Car  Company  was  organized  and  laid  a  track  from 
the  Capitol  Hotel  to  the  Union  Depot.  In  1883  a  controlling 
interest  in  both  these  companies  was  bought  by  Colonel  Sinclair 


252  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

of  Galveston  who  soon  sold  a  half  interest  in  his  holdings  to  H. 
F.  McGregor.  The  combined  trackage  of  the  two  lines  was  about 
six  miles.  The  lines  were  rebuilt  and  extended  by  Messrs.  Sinclair 
and  McGregor  until  there  was  a  length  of  about  16  miles,  all 
operated  by  mule  power. 

The  business  was  so  prosperous  that  others  determined  to 
take  a  hand  in  it  and  accordingly,  in  1890,  a  second  Bayou 
City  Street  Railroad  Company  was  organized.  The  promoters 
of  the  new  company,  Wm.  Boyd  and  Brother,  constructed  ten 
miles  of  track.  Soon  after  that  Sinclair  and  McGregor  sold  out 
their  interest  to  a  Chicago  syndicate,  which  had  the  president  of 
the  Chicago  City  Railroad  at  its  head.  This  syndicate,  in  turn, 
sold  its  Houston  interest  to  an  Omaha  syndicate.  The  new  syndi- 
cate soon  bought  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Boyd  Bayou  City 
Company  which  had  been  fairly  successful.  The  Omaha  people 
prepared  to  introduce  electricity  in  operating  their  cars,  and  the 
city  council  passed  an  ordinance,  October  3,  1890,  authorizing 
them  to  do  so.  At  the  same  time  the  company  was  given  a  new 
franchise  for  a  period  of  35  years.  The  two  lines  were  consol- 
idated and  had  a  total  trackage  of  28  miles,  all  being  equipped 
with  electric  power.  The  Houston  Heights  line  was  constructed 
in  1892-93.  It  was  purchased  by  the  Omaha  people  and  com- 
bined with  the  other  line,  thus  increasing  its  mileage  to  35  miles. 
The  great  financial  panic  of  1893  was  disastrous  to  the  company 
and  in  1895  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  John  H.  Kirby,  as 
receiver.  The  company  was  reorganized  in  1896,  with  A.  W. 
Parlin  as  president  and  H.  F.  McGregor  as  manager.  In  1901, 
H.  B.  Rice  was  entrusted  as  receiver,  with  the  supervision  of  all 
its  affairs,  and  during  his  control  the  road  passed  to  the  owner- 
ship of  the  Stone  and  Webster  syndicate  of  Boston,  who  pur- 
chased it  at  a  receivers  sale,  November  12,  1901. 

The  new  owners  placed  H.  K.  Payne  in  charge  as  manager 
and  set  aside  a  certain  amount  of  money  for  rebuilding  and 
improving  the  property.  One  of  the  provisions  of  the  receivers 
sale  was  that  the  new  owners  should  assume  all  liabilities  of  the 
old  company.  Among  these  was  an  indebtedness  to  the  city 
of  Houston  for  street  paving,  variously  estimated  at  from 


Transportation  and  Communication  253 

$30,000  to  $85,000.  After  long  negotiation,  the  details  of  which 
were  given  to  the  public,  the  company  agreed  to  pay  to  the  city 
$80,000  in  full  settlement  of  all  claims,  and  the  city  agreed  to 
extend  the  franchise  of  the  road  for  an  additional  ten  years.  The 
company  further  agreed  to  establish  a  transfer  system,  vestibule 
its  cars,  to  build  a  certain  amount  of  new  track  within  the  city 
limits  each  year  for  two  years,  and  to  pay  to  the  city  one  per  cent 
of  its  gross  earnings  for  23  years  and  2  per  cent  for  the  remain- 
ing ten  years. 

The  company  immediately  set  about  rebuilding  the  La  Branch, 
Houston  Heights,  South  End,  Louisiana,  Franklin,  Son  Felipe, 
Arkansas  Pass,  Brunner  and  Washington  Street  lines,  replac- 
ing the  old,  light  rails  with  the  heaviest  type  of  rails  and  sub- 
stituting grounded  girders  for  "T"  rails  on  all  paved  streets. 
The  company  also  began  the  extension  of  the  Liberty  Avenue 
line,  the  Montgomery  Avenue  line,  the  La  Branch  line  and  the 
Houston  Avenue  line.  New  and  modern  cars  and  other  equip- 
ments were  supplied,  Highland  Park  was  completed,  and  many 
improvements  were  made.  Provision  was  made  for  the  separa- 
tion of  white  and  negro  passengers  on  the  cars  in  accordance 
with  the  provisions  of  an  ordinance  of  the  city,  which  went  into 
effect  October  28,  1903. 

The  street  railroad  system  of  Houston,  while  far  from  per- 
fect, has  done  much  in  developing  and  building  up  the  city. 

The  Houston  Electric  Company  now  operates  13  lines  in 
Houston  and  has  a  total  of  51  miles  of  track.  Several  exten- 
sions are  under  way.  On  the  several  lines  191  cars  are  in  ser- 
vice and  the  number  of  employes  of  the  company  is  456.  It 
expends  each  year  on  its  Houston  pay  roll  $33,839  in  salaries 
and  $230,600  for  labor.  The  company  has  a  capital  stock  of 
$3,000,000  and  is  not  in  any  sense  a  local  corporation'.  It  pays 
large  dividends  to  its  Boston  owners.  David  Daly  is  the  local 
manager. 

In  September,  1911,  the  finishing  touches  were  put  on  the 
city  part  of  the  track  of  the  Houston-Galveston  Interurban 
Railroad.  This  line  is  50.5  miles  in  length,  and  is  said  to  be 
the  best  piece  of  track  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  It  cost 


254  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

$2,500,000  to  construct  it.  The  main  power  station  at  Clear 
Creek  (half  way)  cost  $275,000  and  is  fitted  with  two-fifteen 
hundred  kilowatt  generators  and  three  520-horse  power  engines. 

• 

There  are  three  sub-power  stations  situated  at  La  Marque, 
South  Houston  and  at  the  main  station. 

Most  of  the  grading  was  embankment  fill,  but  on  Galveston 
Island  and  the  approach  to  the  causeway,  there  was  a  hydraulic 
fill  amounting  to  about  164,000  cubic  yards.  Five  long  bridges 
were  constructed,  the  longest  612  feet  in  length,  was  that  over 
Clear  Creek.  A  passenger  station,  costing  $12,000  has  been 
erected  in  Galveston  and  one  costing  $40,000  is  about  completed 
in  Houston. 

A  viaduct  1,900  feet  long,  built  of  reinforced  concrete,  has 
been  constructed  over  the  tracks  of  the  Santa  Fe  and  the  Lee- 
land  road  just  beyond  the  Houston  city  limits.  This  road  will 
use  the  great  Galveston  causeway,  the  longest  bridge  in  the  world, 
now  almost  complete.  It  will  span  Galveston  Bay  from  Virginia 
Point  on  the  mainland  to  the  island.  It  will  be  used  by  all 
railroads,  and  other  traffic  lines  of  communication  entering  Gal- 
veston. 

On  account  of  their  intimate  connection  with  transportation 
matters,  there  is  given  here  a  brief  account  of  Houston's  first 
experience  with  the  telegraph  and  telephone.  The  first  mention 
of  the  telegraph  is  found  in  the  Houston  Telegraph,  March  18, 
1853.  This  is  the  announcement  that  L.  W.  Cady  &  Co.,  had 
determined  to  connect  the  telegraph  line  at  Alexandria,  La., 
with  the  Texas  and  Red  River  line.  A  Mr.  Preston,  who  had 
lately  passed  through  Houston,  was  then  on  his  way  to  the 
eastern  counties  to  arrange  for  the  extension  of  the  line  from 
Alexandria  to  Houston. 

At  that  time  the  construction  of  a  line  between  Houston  and 
Galveston  was  actually  under  way,  but  in  1854  work  on  it  was 
abandoned,  for  a  time  at  least,  though  it  was  stated  that  the 
"gutta  percha  wire"  which  was  to  have  been  laid  under  the 
waters  of  the  bay  from  Virginia  Point  to  Galveston  Island,  was 
in  Galveston  ready  for  use.  Carelessness  in  putting  up  the 
wires  and  subsequent  neglect  of  them  had  caused  them  to  fall 


Transportation  and  Communication  255 

down  in  several  places  between  Houston  and  Virginia  Point. 
No  further  effort  was  made  to  build  the  line  until  in  May,  1858. 
Then  a  successful  movement  was  inaugurated  and  the  line  was 
built.  The  plan  adopted  for  raising  the  necessary  money  was 
simple.  An  appeal  was  made  to  the  business  men,  the  profes- 
sional men  and  to  everybody  in  general,  to  take  stock  in  the 
company.  The  expense  of  construction  was  placed  at  $110  per 
mile,  which  made  the  total  cost  of  the  land  part  $5,500.  The 
submarine  cable,  warranted  to  last  one  year,  was  to  cost  $700, 
thus  making  the  total  cost  of  the  line  $6,200.  Houston  was 
asked  to  take  $3,000  stock  which  she  did.  It  was  stipulated  that 
the  stock  was  not  to  be  paid  for  until  the  line  was  completed 
and  in  operation. 

In  the  fall  of  1878,  Mr.  Pendarvis,  telegraph  operator  at 
Morgan's  Transportation  Depot,  which  was  over  in  the  Fifth 
ward  near  Bonner's  Point,  installed  a  telephone  plant  between 
his  office  and  the  office  at  Clinton,  ten  miles  away.  Because  the 
talking  disturbed  the  clerks  in  the  Clinton  office  the  telephone 
was  removed.  Mr.  Pendarvis  then  strung  the  wires  between  his 
office,  the  Direct  Navigation  office  and  the  Central  Depot.  It  was 
found  that  conversations  could  be  carried  on  with  as  much  ease 
as  if  the  talkers  were  in  one  room.  ' '  When  the  great  convenience 
growing  out  of  these  two  connections  is  ascertained  by  other 
railroad  men  and  business  men  generally,"  said  the  Telegram, 
"there  will  be,  no  doubt,  a  system  of  telephonic  wires  several 
miles  in  length  put  up  here,  connecting  not  only  the  depots,  but 
many  of  the  business  houses  with  each  other  and  with  private 
residences. ' ' 

Mr.  Pendarvis  was  the  first  man  in  Houston  to  use  the 
telephone  for  practical  business  purposes,  though  the  telephone 
had  been  tested  before  that,  as  the  following  extract  from  the 
Houston  Telegram  of  June  18,  1878,  shows:  "Mr.  J.  W.  Stacey, 
the  efficient  manager  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  office  in 
this  city,  has  procured  a  telephone  of  the  latest  improved  con- 
struction which  he  will  put  up  for  use  during  the  military 
encampment  of  the  volunteers  of  the  state  next  week.  The  line 
will  run  from  the  Fair  Grounds  to  Mr.  G.  W.  Baldwin's  library 


256  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

room  in  the  Telegram  Building  and  everybody  wishing  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  conversing  with  a  friend  a  mile  distant  will  have 
an  opportunity.  Our  friends  from  the  country  and  many  in 
the  city  who  are  skeptical  about  the  truthful  working  of  the 
wonderful  instrument,  will  have  an  opportunity  to  test  it  to  their 
satisfaction.  To  many  of  them  it  will  be  quite  a  curiosity,  and 
we  expect  to  see  its  capacity  fully  tried.  Mr.  Stacey  will  make  a 
trial  test  today  and  will  have  the  apparatus  in  perfect  working 
order  by  the  end  of  the  week." 

A  thorough  and  practical  test  of  the  telephone  was  made  for 
the  first  time  in  a  general  way  in  Houston  on  October  18,  1879, 
when  instruments  were  established  in  several  railroad  offices 
and  in  the  Telegram  office  and  the  editor  of  the  Telegram  con- 
versed for  over  an  hour,  as  he  tells  us,  with  Major  Swanson, 
Mr.  Dwyer  and  others  at  the  Central  Railway  and  Sunset  depots 
and  offices. 

The  accounts  of  these  primitive  telegraph  lines  with  their 
"gutta  percha  wires"  for  use  under  water  and  telephones  that 
enabled  one  to  "talk  to  a  friend  a  mile  away,"  seem  very  strange 
to  us  of  today,  when  a  merchant  can  go  on  the  floor  of  the  Cotton 
Exchange  and  send  a  message  to  Liverpool,  have  it  executed 
and  receive  a  reply  before  he  can  make  a  cigarette  and  smoke  it. 
Or  when  one  can  sit  in  the  library  at  home,  take  down  the 
telephone  and  converse  with  a  friend  in  Chicago,  St.  Louis  or 
El  Paso,  with  as  much  ease  and  dispatch  as  one  can  converse  with 
the  next  door  neighbor.  In  the  newspaper  offices  in  Houston 
demonstrations  have  been  made  of  the  wireless  telephone. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war  the  "Star  State" 
telegraph  line  between  Houston  and  Galveston  and  between 
Houston  and  Orange,  was  absorbed  by  the  Southwestern,  the 
Trans-Mississippi  division  of  the  Southwestern  Telegraph  Com- 
pany that  covered  all  of  the  Southern  states  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  The  new  company  was  placed  under  the  super- 
vision of  Mr.  D.  P.  Shepherd,  one  of  the  most  expert  operators 
of  that  or  this  day,  who,  his  friends  claim,  was  the  first  telegraph 
operator  in  the  world  to  receive  a  message  by  ear.  In  addition 
to  its  lines  to  Galveston  and  Orange,  the  company  had  a  line 


Transportation  and  Communication  257 

extending  to  Crockett,  where  it  connected  with  a  line  extending 
to  Shrevesport.  In  the  latter  part  of  1867  the  Western  Union 
absorbed  the  Southwestern  and  this  gave  the  "Western  Union 
control  of  all  telegraph  lines  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Merrit  Harris  was  made  -manager  of  the  Western  Union 
office  in  Houston  but  died  soon  after  of  yellow  fever,  in  1867. 
Col.  Phil.  Fall  was  appointed  manager  and  served  for  a  short 
time,  resigning  to  take  charge  of  the  telegraph  department  of 
the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad  Company. 

For  over  forty  years  the  Western  Union  remained  in  full 
possession  of  the  telegraph  field,  and  then,  a  few  months  ago,  it 
was  in  turn  absorbed  by  the  Southwestern  Telegraph  and  Tele- 
phone Company,  which  is  the  greatest  combination  of  the  kind  in 
the  world. 

The  Houston  office  is  thoroughly  equipped.  It  employs 
about  sixty  operators  and  has  over  one  hundred  wires  running 
into  .it,  forming  connection  with  every  city  and  village  in  this 
country,  Mexico  and  Canada.  It  also-  has  connection  with  deep- 
sea  cables  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  Mr.  S.  P.  Jones  is  manager, 
succeeding  Mr.  C.  W.  Gribble,  long  the  capable  manager,  and 
Mr.  J.  E.  Johnson  is  chief  operator.  The  latter  is  said  to  be 
one  of  the  most  skilled  electricians  in  the  telegraph  service. 
The  Postal  Telegraph  Company,  a  rival  of  the  Western  Union 
and  its  successor,  the  Southwestern,  established  its  office  in  Hous- 
ton, July  5,  1898.  By  strict  attention  to  business  and  prompt 
service  it  soon  built  up  a  good  business,  and  is  today  a  substantial 
and  solid  concern.  The  company  employs  about  thirty  opera- 
tors, and  has  wire  connection  with  all  points  on  this  continent 
and  cable  connection  with  the  whole  world.  On  the  day  the 
company  opened  its  office  here  its  total  receipts  were  $2.40. 
Today  the  daily  receipts  average  between  $400  and  $500.  Not 
only  in  Houston  but  in  every  office  of  the  company  all  over  the 
United  States,  the  motto  of  the  Postal  is  promptness  and  dis- 
patch, and  by  adhering  to  this  motto  it  has  succeeded  in  gaining 
and  holding  public  confidence.  The  local  manager  of  the  Postal 
is  Mr.  John  C.  Witt. 


258  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

In  1910,  the  two  telegraph  companies  handled  3,500,000 
messages  out  of  Houston. 

The  Houston  Telephone  Exchange  was  established  in  Hous- 
ton by  Mr.  James  A.  Stacey,  local  manager  of  the  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company,  in  .1880.  Mr.  G.  "W.  Foster  succeed- 
ed Mr.  Stacey  as  manager  of  the  telephone  company  in  1882,  the 
exchange  having  ninety-four  subscribers  and  no  long  distance 
lines.'  The  exchange  was  first  located  in  the  old  Fox  Building, 
but  Mr.  Foster  obtained  a  ten  year  lease  on  a  room  at  the  top 
of  the  market  house  tower  in  exchange  for  ringing  the  alarm  bell 
in  case  of  fire,  the  alarms  to  be  turned  in  by  telephone.  Only  one 
lineman  was  employed  by  the  exchange,  a  negro  who  divided  his 
time  between  his  duties  and  preaching. 

The  first  long  distance  line  was  built  between  Houston  and 
Galveston  in  1883,  and  Mr.  Foster  and  his  wife,  who  was  as 
efficient  as  he,  removed  to  Galveston,  where  they  managed  both 
the  Houston  and  Galveston  offices. 

The  company  has  just  completed  an  elegant  building  of  its 
own,  a  skyscraper,  on  the  corner  of  Capitol  Avenue  and  San 
Jacinto  Street,  which,  with  its  equipments,  will  cost  approxi- 
mately $1,000,000. 

The  company  had  on  July  31,  this  year,  13,874  subscribers, 
and  when  it  gets  in  its  new  quarters  it  will  be  able  to  care  for 
20,000  subscribers  without  making  further  additions  to  its  plant. 
The  work  of  putting  the  wires  under  ground  was  begun  in 
1896  and  nearly  all  are  now  in  conduits. 

The  company  has  a  very  complete  system  of  long  distance 
wires.  There  are  twelve  circuits  to  Galveston,  seven  to  Beau- 
mont, three  to  San  Antonio,  three  to  Dallas  and  one  each  to  Fort 
Worth  and  Corpus  Christi.  These  are  direct  circuits  and  all 
have  branches  reaching  out  over  the  state  in  every  direction. 

It  is  possible  to  carry  on  conversation  between  Houston 
and  El  Paso,  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis  and  even  Chicago,  and  the 
company  does  a  large  commercial  business.  Plans  are  now  being 
discussed  for  the  improvement  of  the  service  so  as  to  extend  it 
as  far  as  Los  Angeles  and  San  Francisco  on  the  west  and  New 
York  and  Boston  on  the  east. 


Transportation  and  Communication  259 

The  officers  of  the  company  in  Houston  are :  E.  G.  Pike, 
division  commercial  superintendent;  G.  S.  Prentice,  district 
commercial  manager;  R.  E.  Hart,  division  traffic  superintend- 
ent ;  Gordon  Bell,  local  .cashier.  The  local  service  of  the  com- 
pany heretofore  has  been  very  unsatisfactory  and  there  has 
been  much  private  and  newspaper  complaint. 

An  Automatic  telephone  company  has  been  preparing  for 
several  years  to  open  in  Houston.  Work  has  been  slow  and 
delays  numerous,  but  there  are  now  several  miles  of  conduit  wires 
and  several  thousand  subscribers.  The  success  of  the  automatic 
principle  remains  to  be  locally  demonstrated.  Mr.  E.  G.  Ebersole 
is  the  Houston  manager.  The  company  is  erecting  a  handsome 
office  building,  but  has  not  yet  begun  to  extend  service.  * 

In  view  of  the  rapid  strides  that  are  made  almost  daily  in 
improving  and  perfecting  the  means  of  telegraphic  and  tele- 
phonic communication,  it  is  but  reasonable  to  presume  that 
methods  which  we  regard  as  practically  perfect  today  will  be 
regarded  as  obsolete  fifty  years  from  now  and  will  excite  as  much 
wonder  as  the  "gutta  percha  wire"  that  was  used  in  place  of 
a  cable  across  Galveston  Bay,  by  the  first  telegraphic  company 
fifty  or  more  years  ago,  does  with  us  today.  There  may  not  be 
such  radical  changes  in  telegraphic  methods  where  wires  and 
cables  are  used,  but  where  these  are  discarded  and  only  the 
wireless  used,  the  advance  will  be  revolutionary. 

Two  wireless  companies  operate  in  Houston.  One  is  a  pri- 
vate concern  owned  and  operated  by  the  Texas  Company.  This 
company  has  2,700  miles  of  private  telegraph  wires  in  Texas, 
Oklahoma  and  Kansas.  These  lines  are  used  by  the  company 
only,  and  the  wireless  plant  is  kept  always  in  readiness  for 
instant  use,  in  case  the  wires  should  fail  from  any  cause.  The 
company  has  similar  outfits  at  Beaumont  and  in  Oklahoma. 

The  Texas  Wireless  Telegraph-Telephone  is  the  only  one 
engaged  in  doing  a  public  and  commercial  business.  Its  location 
is  admirable,  being  on  the  18th  floor  of  the  Carter  Building  and 
having  its  wire  tentacles  spread  from  a  tower  forty  or  fifty  feet 
above  the  roof  of  that  tall  building.  This  great  elevation  is  very 
advantageous  for  it  gives  the  electric  waves  free  play  and  wide 


260  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

range.  Another  advantage  is  that  it  is  as  far  removed  from 
metal  roofs  and  street  wires,  which  are  enemies  to  the  free 
transmission  of  electric  waves.  The  company  has  now  in  opera- 
tion a  station  here,  one  in  Victoria  and  another  in  San  Antonio. 
It  has  thoroughly  equipped  stations  at  Fredericksburg,  "Waco 
and  Fort  Worth,  but,  for  some  reason,  only  the  first  named  are 
in  commission.  Probably  it  is  because  of  the  difficulty  of  securing 
competent  operators,  these  being  scarce.  The  area  in  which  the 
Houston  plant  can  do  effective  work  in  sending  messages  is  about 
500  miles.  The  instrument  is  not  powerful  enough  to  send 
a  message  further  than  that  except  under  exceptionally  favorable 
conditions,  but  it  is  delicate  and  powerful  enough  to  receive  them 
from  a*n  indefinite  distance. 

The  local  manager  of  the  company  frequently  hears  the 
Norfolk  Navy  yard  operator  sending  messages,  and  can  get 
messages  from  Washington,  Cape  Hatteras  and  from  a  station  on 
the  southeast  coast  of  Cuba.  All  these  stations  are  equipped 
with  powerful  machines.  Three  codes  are  used.  The  ordinary 
Morse  code  is  the  one  in  general  use.  All  German  vessels  use 
the  Continental  code,  while  the  United  States  Navy  uses  the 
Navy  code.  Of  course  a  wireless  operator  must  have  all  three 
codes  at  his  finger  ends. 

The  Texas  Wireless  Company  is  a  Texas  company.  All  its 
stock  is  owned  in  Texas  and  it  is  controlled  and  managed  by 
Texas  people.  Mr.  G.  R.  Spielhagen  is  president  and  general 
manager  with  headquarters  in  Houston,  while  Mr.  E.  G.  Prince 
is  local  manager. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Societies  and  Clubs 


Free  Masonry  in  Texas.  Holland  Lodge  and  Texas  Grand  Lodge 
Organized.  First  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  Elks.  The  Houston  Turn  Verein.  The  Volks- 
Fests.  Societies  of  War  Veterans.  Terry's  Texas  Rangers. 
Second  Texas  Infantry  and  Waul's  Legion.  Hood's  Texas 
Brigade.  The  Bayou  City  Guards.  Dick  Dowling  Camp  U. 
C.  V.  and  Post  McLennan  No.  9,  G.  A.  R.  Houston  Militia 
Companies.  The  Light  Guard.  Troop  A.  First  Texas 
Cavalry.  Jeff  Miller  Rifles.  The  Annual  No-Tsu-Oh  Carni- 
val. Z.  Z.  and  Thalian  Clubs.  Country  Club.  Houston 
Club.  Charitable  Societies.  Organized  Charities,  Faith 
Home,  Wesley  House,  Florence  Crittenden  Home,  Star  of 
Hope  Mission.  Houston  Settlement  Association. 


It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  establishment  of  Free 
Masonry  in  Texas  was  accomplished  not  only  through  the  great- 
est difficulty,  owing  to  the  isolated  and  widely  separated  con- 
dition of  those  willing  to  engage  in  such  work,  but  also  that 
the  act  itself  was  one  replete  with  danger  to  those  engaged  in 
it.  At  that  time  Texas  was  a  part  of  Mexico  and  the  people 
of  Mexico  looked  on  all  secret  societies,  and  Free  Masonry  in 
particular,  as  tools  of  the  evil  one  and  punished  all  those  who 
had  anything  to  do  with  them,  as  heretics  and  servants  of  the 
devil. 

Dr.  Anson  Jones,  the  last  President  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas,  the  first  master  of  Holland  Lodge  No.  1,  and  also  the 
first  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  the  Republic  of  Texas,  fortun- 
ately left  a  manuscript  dairy  from  which  the  following  facts 
are  taken : 

In  the  winter  of  1834-35,  five  Master  Masons,  who  had 
exchanged  the  signs  of  their  order,  resolved  to  establish  Masonry 


262  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

in  Texas.  President  Jones  says  that  this  was  not  without  peril, 
for  every  movement  looking  towards  organization  of  any  kind, 
was  craftily  and  censoriously  watched  by  Mexican  spies  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  for  that  specific  purpose.  However, 
these  very  conditions  made  some  kind  of  organization  on  the 
part  of  the  American  population  an  absolute  necessity  for  self 
protection,  and  personal  rights  and  liberty.  Accordingly,  Anson 
Jones,  John  A.  Wharton,  Asa  Bringham,  A.  E.  Phelps  and 
Alexander  Russell  in  association  with  J.  P.  Caldwell,  banded 
together  as  the  first  Masonic  lodge  in  Texas.  Their  first  place 
of  meeting  was  in  a  wild-peach  grove  on  the  General  John 
Austin  place  back  of  Brazoria.  The  spot  was  a  family  burying 
ground,  and  for  that  reason,  as  well  as  on  account  of  its  environ- 
ment, was  a  secluded  place,  and  deemed  safe  for  the  work  in 
hand.  Here,  at  10  o'clock  on  a  day  in  March,  in  1835,  was 
held  the  first  formal  Masonic  meeting  in  Texas.  It  was  deter- 
mined at  that  meeting  to  apply  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Louisiana  for  a  dispensation  to  open  and  form  a  lodge  to  be 
called  Holland  Lodge,  in  honor  of  the  worshipful  grand  master 
of  that  body,  J.  H.  Holland.  After  some  delay  the  dispensation 
was  granted,  and  Holland  Lodge  No.  36.  (under  dispensation) 
was  instituted  at  Brazoria,  in  the  second  story  of  the  old  court 
house. 

The  activities  of  the  lodge  were  interfered  with  by  the  struggle 
for  independence  by  the  Texans.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the  lodge 
in  Brazoria,  in  February,  1836,  Anson  Jones,  presided  and 
Fannin,  the  Texas  hero,  was  senior  deacon.  Brazoria  was  aban- 
doned in  March,  and  the  Mexicans,  under  General  Urrea 
destroyed  the  Masonic  records,  jewels  and  other  property.  The 
few  members  of  Holland  Lodge  were  scattered  in  every  direction. 
When,  in  due  time,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Louisiana  chartered 
Holland  Lodge  No.  36,  it  sent  the  charter  to  Texas  by 
John  Allen,  who  delivered  it,  with  other  papers,  to  Anson  Jones 
at  a  point  on  the  prairie  between  Groce's  and  San  Jacinto,  when 
Jones  was  marching  with  the  Texas  army.  Dr.  Jones  put  the 
documents  in  his  saddle-bag  and  took  them  with  him  to  where 
the  army  was  camped  at  Lynchburg  on  Buffalo  Bayou.  The 


Societies  and  Clubs  263 

result  of  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto  saved  not  only  Texas  but  the 
charter  as  well  for  had  the  Mexicans  triumphed  the  charter  would 
have  shared  the  fate  of  the  dispensation  at  Brazoria. 

For  various  reasons,  no  attempt  was  made  to  reestablish 
the  lodge  at  Brazoria,  though  the  charter  was  eventually  taken 
to  that  place,  but,  in  October,  1837,  Anson  Jones  and  associates, 
reestablish  it  at  Houston.  About  the  same  time  Milam  Lodge 
at  Nacogdoches  and  McFarlane  Lodge  at  San  Augustine  obtained 
charters  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Louisiana.  Delegates  from 
these  two  lodges  and  from  Holland  Lodge,  convened  in  Houston 
in  the  winter  of  1837-38  and  organized  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  Republic  of  Texas,  and  the  connection  of  these  three  lodges 
was  transferred  from  the  Florida  jurisdiction  to  that  of  Texas. 
Holland  Lodge  No.  36,  became  Holland  Lodge  No.  1,  of  Houston. 

For  several  years  the  Grand  Lodge  met  at  various  points 
in  Texas,  but  in  1866  its  permanent  home  was  established  in 
Houston.  An  appropriation  of  $50,000  was  made  towards  build- 
ing a  temple  and  to  this  the  Houston  Masons  made  a  handsome 
donation,  so  that  when  the  temple  was  completed,  and  dedicated 
in  1871,  its  cost  was  $113,000.  It  was  erected  under  the  super- 
vision of  Mr.  C.  J.  Grainger,  one  of  the  early  wealthy  citizens  of 
Houston,  a  past  master  of  Holland  Lodge,  of  1854,  who  gave  his 
work  as  a  gift  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  Some  years  later,  when  the 
population  of  the  state  had  increased  and  the  center  of  population 
had  shifted,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  remove  the  home  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  to  a  more  central  point,  and  Waco  was  chosen. 
That  city  erected  a  temple  at  a  cost  of  $150,000  for  the  lodge. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  if  not  important  meetings 
of  the  Grand  Lodge,  was  the  46th  communication,  which  was 
convened  at  Houston,  December  8,  1881.  Interest  was  centered 
in  the  visit  to  the  lodge,  on  that  occasion,  of  General  Albert 
Pike,  of  "Washington,  D.  C.,  Provincial  Grand  Master  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  Royal  order  of  Scotland  in  the  United  States, 
and  said  to  have  been  the  highest  Mason  in  America,  Sovereign 
Grand  Commander  of  the  Supreme  Council  of  the  Ancient 
Accepted  Scottish  Rite  for  the  Southern  Jurisdiction  of  the  Unit- 
ed States.  He  had  been  elected  to  that  position  twenty  years 


264  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

before.  General  Prior  was  also  Provincial  Grand  Prior  of  the 
Great  Priory  of  Canada  of  the  United  Military  and  Religious 
Orders  of  the  Temple. 

It  is  rather  remarkable  that  the  same  man  who  was  so  large- 
ly instrumental  in  introducing  Masonry  in  Texas  should  also 
have   played   an   equally   important   part   in   establishing   Odd 
Fellowship.    Anson  Jones,  who  may  be  termed,  with  truth  and 
justice,  the  father  of  Masonry  in  Texas,  was  also  the  father  of 
Odd  Fellowship.    In  1838,  he  and  four  other  brothers  organized 
Lone  Star  Lodge  No.  1,  I.  0.  0.  F.  in  Houston,  and  he  was  the 
first  Grand  Master  of  the  organization  in  Texas.     The  progress 
of  Masonry  and  Odd  Fellowship  in  Houston  has  always  been 
side  by  side.     Each  has  had  periods  of  great  prosperity  and 
periods  of  depression,  but  in  all  instances  the  prosperity  has 
predominated,  and,  today  they  are  two  of  the  most  solid  and  well 
established  orders  in  the  city.    Lone  Star  Lodge  No.  1,  I.  0.  O. 
F.  has  the  distinguished  honor,  shared  equally  by  Holland  Lodge 
No.  1,  of  the  Masonic  order,  of  having  had  two  of  its  members 
fill  the  high  and  exalted  office  of  Grand  Master  of  both  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  and  Grand  Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  These 
were  President  Anson  Jones  and  Henry  .Perkins,  of  Houston. 
In  recent  years  Masonry  in  Houston  has  been  most  furthered 
by  the  efforts  of  Hon.  Frank  C.  Jones,  a  33°  Mason  and  the 
present  potentate  of  El  Mina  Temple  nobles  of  the  mystic  shrine. 
In  1870  the  young  men  of  Houston  took  great  interest  in 
Odd  Fellowship,  with  the  result  that  Lone  Star  Lodge  No.  1, 
grew  rapidly  in  numbers  and  influence.    This  influence  was  not 
exerted  in  Houston  alone  but  extended  to  other  nearby  cities. 
As  a  result  interest  in  the  order  increased  and  it  may  be  said, 
truthfully,  that  the  present  great  usefulness  and  influence  of 
the  order  in  Houston  dates  from  that  time.     Henry  Perkins, 
who  was  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  was  a  most  enthu- 
siastic worker.    He  is  one  of  the  few  really  worthy  and  distin- 
guished citizens  of  Houston  of  the  early  days,  who  has  never 
been  given  that  place  in  the  history  and  traditions  of  the  city,  to 
which  his  merits  entitled  him.     One  reason  for  this  was  the 
excessive  modesty  and  aversion  to  .publicity,  which  characterized 


Societies  and  Clubs  265 

his  life.  He  was  willing  to  work  for  the  good  of  the  order  and 
always  kept  himself  as  far  from  the  lime-light  as  possible.  He 
was  a  man  of  independent  means,  a  great  student  and  lover  of 
books,  and  as  a  consequence  was  known,  really,  by  but  few  men. 

Next  to  the  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
is  the  oldest  secret  organization  in  Houston.  Lone  Star  Lodge 
No.  1,  was  organized  in  1872,  and  is  therefore  not  only  the  oldest 
lodge  of  the  order  in  Houston,  but  the  oldest  in  the  state.  The 
order  has  always  been  popular  here  and  is  very  strong,  both 
'numerically  and  in  every  other  way.  There  are  fourteen  pri- 
mary lodges  and  subsidiary  organizations  of  the  order  here, 
and  they  are  all  nourishing  and  each  has  a  full  membership. 

Strange  to  say  there  is  only  one  lodge  of  the  Elks  organization 
in  Houston.  It  is  Houston  Lodge  No.  151,  B.  P.  0.  E.  It  was 
organized  in  January,  1890,  and  is  in  a  most  nourishing  condi- 
tion, numerically.  The  lodge  has  over  600  members,  and  plims 
for  a  magnificent  building  of  its  own  are  now  under  considera- 
tion. 

The  Turn  Verein,  the  first  German  Society  in  Houston,  was 
organized  January  14,  1854.  In  its  first  minute  book  is  recorded 
the  following: 

"We,  the  undersigned,  assembled  this  forenoon  in  Gable's 
house,  to  confer  in  regard  to  the  institution  of  a  Turn  Verein. 
It  was  the  wish  of  all  to  belong  to  a  society  where  each  feels 
as  a  brother  to  the  other  and  lives  for  him  and  with  him  as  a 
brother.  We  have,  therefore,  associated  ourselves  under  a 
brotherly  pressure  of  hands  and  promised  each  other  to  organize 
a  Turn  Verein  with  energy  and  love  in  the  cause  and  assure 
its  existence  by  continued  activity." 

(Signed)     T.  Heitmann,  F.  Reimann,  -  —  Marschall, 

Louis  Pless,  John  F.  Thorade,  Robert  Voight,  E.  B. 

H.  Schneider,  August  Sabath,  E.  Scheurer,  and  L. 

Scheihagen. 
Houston,  January  14,  1854. 

The  young  "Verein  had  scarcely  seen  seven  years  when  the 
great  Civil  War  broke  out.  The  original  ten  had  grown  to  about 
a  hundred  and  almost  to  a  man  they  volunteered  to  do  battle  for 


266  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

their  adopted  country.  A  company  was  formed,  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Captain  E.  B.  H.  Schneider,  composed  of  members 
of  the  Turn  Verein,  and  was  among  the  very  first  troops  to  leave 
for  the  front.  That  they  were  not  parade  soldiers  is  attested 
by  the  frayed  and  shot-torn  company  flag  which  is  among  the 
most  prized  and  sacredly  guarded  treasures  of  the  Verein. 

But  before  the  war  the  Verein  had  already  accomplished  a 
great  deal.  Under  their  auspices  a  gymnastic  school  for  both 
sexes  had  been  established,  for  the  motto  of  the  Verein  was: 
"only  in  a  healthy  body  dwells  a  healthy  soul."  One  of  the' 
early  volunteer  fire  companies  was  recruited  from  the  Turners. 
When  the  war  closed  the  Turners  were  poor  in  purse,  in  common 
with  everybody  else,  but  they  were  rich  in  hope  and  energy  and 
it  was  not  long  before  they  had  new  life  and  vigor  instilled  in 
the  Verein.  Within  two  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  they 
had  gotten  their  affairs  so  well  in  hand  that  they  were  enabled 
to  start  a  semi-public  school,  which,  according  to  the  testimony 
of  old  Houstonians,  was  the  best  school  of  its  scope  and  purpose 
of  the  period.  Able  teachers  were  employed.  Tuitions  were 
insufficient  to  defray  expenses  and  the  Turners  made  up  the 
deficiency  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  association.  In  the  great 
yellow  fever  epidemic  of  1867  one  of  the  principal  teachers  died 
and  the  school  was  suspended  and  never  again  resumed. 

At  that  time  foreign  immigrants  were  settling  in  the  North 
and  West  and  were  avoiding  the  South  because  the  advantages 
of  the  South  had  never  been  properly  placed  before  them.  The 
Verein  undertook  to  correct  this  and  had  printed  at  its  own 
expense,  pamphlets  setting  forth  the  claims  of  Texas  and  cir- 
culated them  in  all  the  large  towns  of  Germany.  This  work  was 
very  effective  in  building  up  the  state  and  particularly  Houston. 
The  Turn  Verein  cultivated  music  and  popularized  it  by  means 
of  vocal  and  instrumental  concerts. 

With  the  view  of  combining  all  of  Houston's  citizens 
and  harmonizing  their  work  for  the  common  good,  it  organized, 
in  1869,  the  Volks-fest,  which  was  also  aided  by  other  German 
associations.  For  about  twelve  years  the  annual  Volks-fest  was 
one  of  the  great  events  of  Houston,  but  gradually  interest  died 


Societies  and  Clubs  267 

out,  and  by  1880,  it  was  evident  that  something  would  have  to 
be  done  if  it  were  intended  to  continue  the  celebration.  Then 
dissentions  arose  and  the  affairs  of  the  Volks-fest  association  got 
into  court.  At  that  time  (1881)  there  were  100  members  of  the 
Turn  Verein.  There  was  also  another  German  Association, 
known  as  the  German  Society,  about  of  the  same  numerical 
strength  as  the  Turn  Verein.  Almost  every  German  citizen  of 
any  note  was  a  member  of  one  of  these  associations.  These  two 
associations  determined  to  come  to  the  rescue  of  the  Volks-fest 
Association,  and  to  assume  all  responsibility  for  future  cele- 
brations. Accordingly  a-  meeting  was  held  at  the  city  hall  on 
Sunday  morning,  December  4,  1881,  for  the  purpose  of  adopting 
a  charter  and  by-laws  for  the  new  association.  Hon.  E.  F. 
Schmidt  was  called  to  the  chair  and  Professor  Stereouwitz  was 
made  secretary.  The  charter  and  by-laws  were  read  and  adopted 
without  discussion.  By  the  admission  of  new  members  the  mem- 
bership increased  to  about  250.  It  was  decided  that  it  would 
not  be  best  for  the  new  organization  to  take  further  definite 
action  pending  litigation  over  the  Volks-fest  fund  then  in  the 
District  court.  Two  months  later  the  two  factions  of  the  Volks- 
fest  Association  effected  a  compromise  of  their  differences 
whereby  the  dignity  of  each  was  preserved,  and  it  was  decided 
to  give  the  next  festival  under  the  consolidated  management. 
The  announcement  was  made,  March  11,  that  the  charter 
of  the  Volks-fest  Association — amended  to  admit  of  the  consol- 
idation of  the  two  associations — had  been  forwarded  to  Austin 
and  that  so  soon  as  it  was  legalized  and  returned,  a  new  and 
enlarged  directory  would  take  up  the  work  that  was  needed  to 
insure  the  permanency  of  the  Volks-fest.  It  was  planned  to 
make  the  coming  festival  the  grandest  that  had  ever  been  under- 
taken. An  interstate  military  drill  was  suggested  but  the  idea 
was  abandoned  because  there  wpuld  be  no  time  to  arrange  for 
more  than  a  State  drill.  It  was  decided  to  do  away  with  the  dec- 
orated wagons  that  had  always  been  a  feature  of  previous  festi- 
vals,, and  to  apply  the  money  thus  saved  as  a  fund  to  be  used  as 
prizes  for  the  greatest  military  and  firemen's  competitions  ever 


268  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

seen  in  Texas,  and  to  induce  the  attendance  of  singing  societies 
from  all  parts  of  the  state. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  May  4,  1882,  a  salute  of  fourteen 
guns  was  fired  by  the  Texas  Old  Guard  Artillery  announcing 
the  opening  of  the  fourteenth  annual  Volks-fest.  There  was  a 
grand  procession.  John  D.  Usner  was  Grand  Marshal,  with  J. 
J.  Fant  and  William  Rupersburg  as  assistants.  The  Adjutants 
were:  John  Morris,  A.  R.  Jones,  S.  S.  Ashe,  H.  Kleinicke, 
George  Bauss  and  Ben  Keagans.  The  parade  and  the  festivities 
that  followed  were  beautiful  and  enjoyable.  Only  one  or  two 
subsequent  annual  Volks-fests  were  held  and  then  they  were 
abandoned  voluntarily. 

Though  primarily  a  child  of  the  Turn  Verein  the  Volks-fest 
had  really  no  official  connection  with  the  Turners  and  its  fortunes 
and  misfortunes  affected  it  in  no  way.  The  Turners  continued 
to  grow  in  strength  and  popularity,  until  today  it  is  one  of  the 
strongest  and  most  influential  organizations  of  the  kind  in  the 
state,  and  one  of  which  all  citizens  of  Houston  are  proud.  They 
have  recently  sold  part  of  their  property  on  Texas  Avenue  and 
contemplate  erecting  one  of  the  finest  club  houses  in  the  South. 

Nearly  one  hundred  of  the  300  survivors  of  Terry's  Texas 
Rangers  met  in  Houston  on  December  16,  1880,  in  annual 
reunion.  A  committee  composed  of  local  survivors  of  that 
command  had  made  extensive  preparation  for  the  event.  That 
committee  was:  S.  S.  Ashe,  of  Co.  B. ;  W.  R.  Black,  of  Co.  B. ; 
P.  C.  Walker,  of  Co.  K. ;  J.  M.  Morin,  of  Co.  D. ;  T.  U.  Lubbock, 
of  Co,  K. ;  W.  H.  Albertson,  of  Co.  H. ;  S.  H.  Jones,  of  Co.  H. ; 
and  M.  F.  de  Bajeligethe,  of  Co.  K. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  famous  cavalry  regiments  in  the 
Confederate  Army  and  was  the  only  Texas  regiment  of  cavalry 
that  saw  active  service  on  the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi  River 
during  the  whole  four  years  of  the  war.  The  record  it  made 
has  perhaps  never  been  surpassed  by  any  cavalry  command 
in  the  history  of  the  world.  It  was  recruited  in  1861,  in 
response  to  a  call  made  by  Benjamin  Franklin  Terry  for  recruits 
who  could  come  armed  and  equipped  to  serve  in  the  Confed- 
erate Army.  The  response  was  so  prompt  that  the  regiment 


Societies  and  Clubs  269 

was  recruited  to  its  full  strength  at  once  (1027)  and  had  thir- 
teen supernumeraries,  who  enlisted  for  the  war  as  vacancies 
occurred.  The  following  brief  summary  of  the  regiment 's  record 
tells  better  than  hundreds  of  written  pages  could  do,  what  bril- 
liant service  the  command  rendered  the  Confederacy: 

Full  strength  of  the  regiment  at  the  beginning,  1027  men, 
rank  and  file.  Recruits  received  during  the  war,  398.  Absent 
during  the  war,  at  times  only,  28.  Discharged  for  wounds  and 
disease,  271.  Killed  in  battle,  377.  Absent  from  wounds  or 
disease  at  the  close  of  the  war,  79.  Present  for  duty  at  the  sur- 
render, 317. 

The  command  was  mustered  into  the  service  on  June,  1861, 
and  served  until  May,  1865,  and  during  that  entire  time  was  out 
of  actual  service  but  21  days.  It  was  in  38  general  engagements 
and  160  skirmishes.  The  regiment,  known  officially  as  the  Eighth 
Texas,  had  five  colonels,  seven  lieutenant  colonels,  five  majors, 
three  adjutants,  three  quartermasters,  three  commissaries,  thirty- 
one  captains,  twenty-nine  first  lieutenants,  twenty-four  second 
lieutenants  and  nineteen  third  lieutenants.  The  members  of  the 
command,  living  in  Houston,  who  were  present  at  that  reunion 
were: 

Col.  Gustave  Cook,  Lieutenant  Col.  B.  A.  Botts,  Maj.  A. 
L.  Steel,  Maj.  B.  F.  Weems,  Sergeant  W.  D.  Cleveland,  Privates 
S.  S.  Ashe,  T.  U.  Lubbock,  Sam  H.  Jones,  W.  R.  Black,  J.  M. 
Morin,  P.  C.  Walker,  W.  H.  Albertson,  and  M.  F.  deBajeligethy. 
Of  these  only  four  are  living  today:  Major  Weems,  Sergeant 
W.  D.  Cleveland  and  Privates  S.  S.  Ashe,  and  T.  U.  Lubbock. 

The  Second  Texas  Infantry  and  Wauls  Legion  held  their 
first  reunion  at  Houston,  July  4,  1882.  There  was  a  business 
meeting  at  Gray 's  Hall  during  the  morning  and  a  banquet  at 
night.  Captain  J.  C.  Hutchison  delivered  the  address  of  wel- 
come and  General  T.  N.  Waul,  the  commander  of  Waul's  Legion, 
responded  with  feeling  and  eloquence.  A  thorough  organization 
was  effected  and  the'  following  officers  were  elected : 

President,  General  T.  N.  Waul,  of  Waul's  Legion.  First 
vice-president,  Col.  Ashbel  Smith,  of  the  Second  Texas.  Second 
vice-president,  Col.  H.  P.  Timmons,  of  Waul's  Legion.  Cor- 


270  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

responding  secretary,  Col.  0.  Steele,  of  Ward's  Legion.  Record- 
ing secretary,  H.  P.  Roberts,  of  the  Second  Texas.  Treasurer, 
Sam  E.  Jones,  of  the  Second  Texas.  Chaplain,  Rev.  J.  J. 
Clemens. 

The  following  members  were  enrolled  at  the  business  meet- 
ing: Second  Texas — F.  W.  L.  Fly,  Major.  Company  A. — 
Captain,  William  Christian,  D.  S.  Smith,  William  Cravey,  H. 
Graves,  Tom  Ewell,  Dave  Lynch,  D.  Mahoney,  D.  Callahan, 
and  Joe  Smith.  Company  B. — Philip  Huebner,  Daniel  Smith, 
Sam  Allen,  Henry  Hartman,  William  Harting,  Theadore  Keller, 
A.  J.  Hurtney,  H.  P.  Roberts,  and  H.  Holtcamp.  Company  C.— 
Dr.  S.  E.  Jones.  Company  D. — Captain,  J.  E.  Foster.  Com- 
pany G. — A.  M.  Armstrong,  E.  S.  Parkell,  A.  J.  Horton,  P.  D. 
Ring,  G.  L.  Gee,  J.  W.  Daniel,  Jack  Jones,  J.  F.  Borden,  C.  A. 
Hope,  William  Hunt,  J.  W.  Farmer,  J.  K.  Addison,  E.  T.  Cott- 
ingham,  P.  D.  Scott.  Company  H. — J.  B.  Me  Arthur,  R.  E. 
McArthur,  T.  D.  Sullivan,  R.  G.  Broaddus,  H.  C.  Broaddus,  L. 
L.  Stuart,  M.  J.  Houston,  E.  W.  Hudson,  H.  H.  Gilbey,  J.  G. 
Hill,  L.  W.  Broaddus. 

Waul's  Legion — E.  E.  Rice,  Sergeant  Major;  Oliver  Steel, 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  Second  Battalion;  S.  P.  Allen  of  Company 
E. ;  Charles  Warneche  of  Company  B. ;  William  Burse,  of 
Hogue's  Battery;  Isaac  A.  Levy,  John  Wagner,  and  Charles 
Holdermany  of  Company  B. ;  Captain  F.  A.  Michels,  Captain 
L.  Hardie,  Jacob  Koch,  of  Company  B.,  Second  Battalion;  P. 
Briscoe,  A.  W.  Littig,  G.  M.  Noris,  H.  G.  Hutcheson,  S.  M. 
Williams,  B.  A.  Smalley  of  Company  A.,  Second  Battalion; 
Louis  Kosse. 

These  signed  the  record  as  members  in  attendance  and  in 
addition  to  these  names  were  added  the  following  records  which 
are  of  the  greatest  value  since  both  the  Second  Texas  and  Waul's 
Legion  had  so  many  men  from  Houston  and  Harris  County  in 
their  ranks. 

Second  Texas  Infantry — Company  B. :  Captain,  W.  C.  Tim- 
mins;  J.  W.  Mangum,  first  lieutenant;  J.  D.  McCleary,  second 
lieutenant;  A.  S.  Mair,  third  lieutenant;  A.  J.  Hurley,  orderly 
sergeant;  J.  B.  Cato,  second  sergeant;  D.  C.  Smith,  third  ser- 


Societies  and  Clubs  271 

geant ;  S.  L.  Allen,  fourth  sergeant ;  0.  J.  Conklin,  fifth  sergeant ; 
W.  H.  Tyson,  color  sergeant ;  Phil  Huebner,  first  corporal ;  H.  D. 
Donnellon,  second  corporal;  privates: — A.  F.  Amerman,  Phil 
Angus,  T.  H  Brooks,  -  -  Barrow,  T.  P.  Bryan,  Wm.  Block, 
William  Blanton,  John  Clark,  Mike  Callahan,  Matt  Conklin,  — 
Cogkin,  Tom  Conway,  Tim  Grim,  -  -  Duncan,  N.  T.  Davis, 
Henry  Drier,  Sterling  Fisher,  B.  Foster,  Ames  N.  Alberts,  John 
Bouquet,  J.  Beutcherger,  J.  T.  Bell,  Henry  Bitner,  Nicholas 
Castello,  George  A.  Christie,  William  H.  Clark,  -  -  Cheeney, 
Horace  Church,  A.  Cunningham,  -  -  Claspell,  Phil  Duggin, 
C.  S.  Doty,  -  -  Forney,  C.  F.  Gehrman,  Charles  Finkleman,  M. 
Gilreath,  J.  B.  Hogan,  Henry  Hartman,  William  Hartney,  J.  C. 
Hart,  Dan.  Huebner,  Henry  Holcamp,  W.  E.  Jones,  Theodore 
Keller,  John  Kirk,  -  -  Klein,  Joseph  Le  Due,  James  Lamber, 
William  Little,  Tom  Lillie,  Henry  Meyer,  -  -  McCarthy,  - 
Meeks,  Joe  Michaels,  James  Manuel,  M.  M.  McLean,  -  -  North- 
rup,  Tom  Patterson,  William  Perry,  Peter  Rhein,  H.  P.  Roberts, 
W.  G.  Spence,  -  -  Shoat,  Joe  Smith,  William  Tulsen,  J.  White, 
William  Wharf,  -  -  Williams,  A.  T.  McCorkle,  Antone  Merkle, 
William  Miller,  George  A.  Newell,  J.  C.  Potter,  E.  Rothman, 
A.  Riter,  Alex  Senechal,  F.  D.  Shaw,  A.  B.  Scale,  E.  A.  Sprague, 
Earnest  Trinks,  William  Worgs,  Ed  H.  Wilson  and  —  Hoffman. 

Company  C. — This  was  the  famous  Bayland  Guards,  a  com- 
pany raised  and  commanded  by  Dr.  Ashbel  Smith,  who  was  after- 
wards the  colonel  of  the  Second  Texas  Regiment.  The  roll  given 
is  the  original  roll  of  the  company  at  its  organization : 

Asbel  Smith,  captain;  J.  R.  Harrill,  first  lieutenant;  S.  S. 
Ashe,  second  lieutenant;  M.  A.  Lea,  third  lieutenant;  R.  D. 
Haden,  first  sergeant;  R.  M.  Woodhall,  second  sergeant;  W.  H. 
Bryan,  third  sergeant;  E.  M.  Wasson,  fourth  sergeant;  R.  G. 
Ashe,  fifth  sergeant ;  Isham  Palmer,  first  corporal ;  C.  M.  Owens, 
second  corporal;  J.  Hagerman,  third  corporal;  C.  E.  Jones,  fourth 
corporal;  H.  Parnell,  surgeon;  privates: — W.  S.  Alger,  John 
Alfson,  Mosley  Baker,  J.  W.  Barnes,  G.  H.  Brown,  Amos  Barren, 
Barton  Clark,  J.  V.  Dutton,  L.  J.  Ellidge,  J.  P.  Evans,  F.  M. 
Fitzgerald,  Amos  Fisher,  J.  G.  Haden,  S.  E.  Jones,  R.  V. 
Tompkins,  Wm.  White,  B.  F.  Lamson,  Henry  Love,  Daniel 


272  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Matthews ,  F.  M.  Rundill ,  James  A.  Rhea ,  T.  J.  Armstrong , 
G.  R.  Baker,  Hiram  Bartlett,  C.  H.  Brooks,  T.  L.  Blagreaves, 
Jesse  Brooks,  D.  Dugat,  Daniel  Duncan,  J.  T.  Elledge,  G.  "W. 
Ferrand ,  Sol  Fisher ,  L.  J.  Harper ,  S.  A.  Hadden ,  Wm.  Evans, 
Stanley  Brown,  W.  H.  "Woodhall,  Sol  Lawrence,  J.  Murrell, 
Henry  Ong,  P.  L.  Reeves,  Otis  Rush,  James  A.  Stewart,  J.  W. 
Tompkins,  A.  J.  Thomas,  A.  G.  Voortman,  Sol  Williams,  John 
Holtz,  W.  A.  Terrell,  T.  W.  Timmins,  J.  B.  Thomas,  J.  B.  Van- 
houten,  A.  J.  Woodall,  and  Sam  Houston,  Jr.,  son  of  General 
Sam  Houston. 

This  company  was  organized  in  Harris  County  April  27, 
1861.  The  Second  Texas  Infantry  was  organized  August  17, 
following.  Col.  J.  C.  Moore  was  its  first  colonel.  When  he  was 
promoted  to  be  a  Brigadier  General,  Lieut.  Col.  William  P.  Rogers 
became  colonel.  Colonel  Rogers  was  killed  at  Corinth  and  was 
succeeded  by  Col.  Ashbel  Smith,  who  commanded  it  until  the 
surrender.  The  regiment  saw  much  active  service  and  dis- 
tinguished itself  at  Corinth,  where,  through  a  blunder,  it  was 
ordered  to  take  an  impregnable  point,  and  sent  to  do  work  that 
it  would  have  required  two  oc  more  brigades  to  accom- 
plish. The  Second  Texas  did  not  falter,  but  made  the  attack 
and  was  nearly  annihilated,  leaving  its  brave  colonel  and  most  of 
its  officers  and  men  on  the  field.  The  regiment  also  sustained 
heavy  losses  at  Vicksburg  and  was  captured  there  when  the 
stronghold  was  surrendered.  After  its  release  from  the  Vicks- 
burg parole  the  regiment  was  transferred  to  this  side  of  the 
Mississippi  and  was  in  the  Trans-Mississippi  department  when 
the  war  closed. 

Waul's  Legion. — This  body  was  organized  in  Washington 
County,  in  the  spring  of  1862,  and  was  composed  of  ten  com- 
panies of  infantry,  one  battalion  of  cavalry  and  two  batteries 
of  artillery.  In  the  legion  was  a  company  of  infantry  commanded 
by  Captain  Sam  Carter,  all  the  members  of  which  were  from 
Harris  County,  and  another  Houston  company,  commanded  by 
Captain  Otto  Natheuesius,  who  was  a  trained  soldier,  having 
served  in  the  Prussian  army.  He  was  promoted  early  after 
reaching  the  other  side  of  the  river  and  Captain  Frank  A. 


Societies  and  Clubs  273 

Michels  assumed  command  of  the  company.  Charles  Warnecke, 
Charles  Warner,  Louis  Kosse,  John  and  William  Kersten  and 
John  W.  Stanfield  of  Houston  were  members  of  this  company. 
Captain  Louis  Harde  of  Houston  also  commanded  a  company  in 
the  legion.  With  the  exception  of  Edgars'  battery,  the  legion 
was  ordered  across  the  Mississippi  in  August,  1862,  and  became  a 
part  of  Walker's  division.  Trellis'  cavalry  battalion  was  detached 
and  included  in  Van  Dorn's  brigade  and  Forest's  cavalry. 
The  infantry  under  command  of  General  Waul,  helped  defend 
Vicksburg,  and  after  the  surrender,  when  that  officer  was  pro- 
moted, was  divided  into  two  battalions,  one  commanded  by  Colo- 
nel Timmons,  and  the  other  by  Colonel  Wrigley. 

Hood's  Texas  Brigade  Association  was  organized  in  the 
parlor  of  the  Hutchins  House,  May  24,  1872.  At  that  first 
meeting  there  were  sixty-five  survivors  of  that  famous  command 
present.  On  motion  of  General  J.  B.  Robertson,  an  ex-com- 
mander of  the  Brigade,  General  J.  B.  Hood  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  Maj.  Robert  Burns  was  requested  to  act  as  secretary. 
General  Hood  made  a  speech  and  said  that  the  object  of  the  meet- 
ing was  to  organize  the  survivors  of  the  old  brigade  into  an 
association  to  be  called  Hood's  Texas  Brigade  Association  of  the 
army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

Col.  Winkler  moved  that  there  should  be  chosen  a  president, 
a  vice-president,  a  secretary  and  a  treasurer,  who  should 
serve  for  one  year.  Also  that  there  should  be  an  executive 
pommittee  of  two  members  from  each  regiment  whose  duty  it 
should  be  to  ga'ther  all  matter  for  a  correct  history  of  the  brigade. 

The  object  of  the  association,  as  stated  by  resolution,  is 
for  friendly  and  social  reunions  of  the  survivors  of  the  brigade, 
and  to  collect  all  data  for  rolls  and  history  and  to  perpetuate  all 
anecdotes,  incidents,  and  many  things  connected  therewith,  and 
to  succor  the  needy  among  its  members.  It  was  decided  to  hold  a 
reunion  once  every  year.  The  officers  elected  at  that  first 
reunion  were:  president,  Col.  C.  M.  Winkler;  vice-president, 
Gen.  J.  B.  Robertson;  secretary  and  treasurer,  Maj.  J.  H.  Little- 
field.  Mrs.  M.  J.  Young,  of  Houston,  who,  for  all  the  four  years 
of  the  war  had  labored  unceasingly  for  the  brigade,  and  who  had 


274  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

raised  and  sent  to  Virginia,  early  in  the  war,  $35,000  in  gold, 
for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  Texas  hospital  in  Richmond, 
and  who  had  sent  clothing  and  medicine  for  them,  was  present 
and  received  an  ovation  not  second  to  that  given  the  old  leader, 
General  Hood.  The  first  act  of  the  association,  after- its  organi- 
zation, was  to  elect  Mrs.  Young  "The  Mother  of  Hood's  Bri- 
gade" by  a  standing  vote. 

Houston  is  directly  interested  in  Hood's  Brigade  since  it 
furnished  one  of  the  companies  that  formed  part  of  the 
Fifth  Texas  Regiment  in  that  famous  body  of  troops.  There 
were  but  three  Texas  regiments  in  the  army  of  northern  Virginia. 
The  Houston  company  was  the  Bayou  City  Guards,  known 
officially  as  Co.  A,  Fifth  Texas  Regiment.  Nearly  every  prom- 
inent family  in  Houston  had  a  representative  in  its  ranks.  Capt. 
W.  D.  Cleveland  was  one  of  the  company,  but  after  arriving  in 
Virginia  he  was  disabled  and  incapacitated  for  the  infantry.  He 
did  not  come  home  however,  but  went  to  Tennessee,  joined  Terry's 
Texas  Rangers,  and  remained  with  that  command  until  the  close 
of  the  war. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  a  full  roster  of  the  company  is 
unobtainable.  There  were  one  hundred  men  in  the  company 
when  it  left  Houston  in  1861.  In  1862  Lieutenant  Clute<;ame  back 
for  recruits  and  secured  six.  One  or  two  others  joined  the 
company  in  Virginia.  The  company  was  in  twenty-forrr  great 
engagements  and  in  a  number  of  heavy  skirmishes.  The  only 
roster  that  can  be  made  out  is  from  the  partial  records  in  the 
war  department  at  "Washington,  giving  the  killed  and  wounded  in 
thirteen  of  the  great  battles  they  were  engaged  in.  That  list,  sup- 
plemented by  another  prepared  from  memory  by  one  of  the 
company  is  given  here : 

A.  Angel,  killed  at  Manassas ;  John  Bell,  killed  at  Manassas ; 
Sam  Bailey,  wounded  at  Manassas,  wounded  at  Gettysburg  and 
killed  at  Spottsylvania ;  T.  P.  Bryan,  killed  at  the  Wilderness; 
Lieut.  J.  E.  Clute,  killed  at  Games'  Mill;  Robt.  Campbell,  wound- 
ed at  Manassas,  wounded  at  Chickamauga,  wounded  at  Darby 
Town;  S.  Cohn,  killed  at  Gettysburg;  Joe  Cramer,  wounded  at 
Gettysburg;  W.  H.  Clarke,  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  wounded  at 


Societies  and  Clubs  275 

Chickamauga,  wounded  at  the  "Wilderness ;  Louis  Coleman,  wound- 
ed at  Gettysburg;  J.  DeLesdernier,  killed  at  Manassas;  George 
DeLesdernier,  killed  at  Games'  Mill;  John  DeYoung,  killed  at 
Manassas;  B.  C.  Dyer,  wounded  at  Sharpsburg;  C.  W.  Diggs, 
killed  at  Gettysburg;  J.  C.  Deloch,  wounded  at  the  Wilderness; 
A.   H.   Edey,   wounded  at   Gettysburg;    Capt.   D.   C.   Farmer, 
wounded  at  Gettysburg;  Lieut.  B.  P.  Fuller,  wounded  at  the 
Wilderness;  T.  W.    Fitzgerold,    wounded    at    Gettysburg;    E. 
Fragee,  wounded  at  Gettysburg;  J.  H.  Garrison,  wounded  at 
Gettysburg ;  C.  B.  Gardner,  wounded  at  Chickamauga ;  J.  Heffrin, 
killed  at  Manassas ;  Sam  D.  Hews,  wounded  at  Manassas ;  Frank 
Kosse,  killed  at  Sharpsburg;  J.  V.  Love,  killed  at  Gettysburg; 
John  Leverton,  wounded  at  Gettysburg;  J.  E.  Landes,  wounded 
at  the  Wilderness;  J.  R.  McMurtry,  killed  at  Manassas;  Wm. 
McDowell,  killed  at  Gettysburg ;  J.  Massenburg,  killed  at  Manas- 
sas; J.  Morris,  wounded  at  Gettysburg  and  at  the  Wilderness; 
E.  A.  Nobles,  wounded  at  Manassas;  Geo.  Onderdonk,  wounded 
at  Gaines '  Mill ;  J.  0  'Nally,  wounded  at  Manassas ;  N.  Pommery, 
wounded  at  Gettysburg  and   Chickamauga;   F.   W.   Plummer, 
wounded  at  Chickamauga;  W.  Reiley,  wounded  at  Manassas;  T. 
H.  Revely,  wounded  at  Gettysburg;  G.  J.  Robinson,  wounded  at 
the  Wilderness ;  J.  H.  Robbins,  wounded  at  Chiekamauga ;  B.  C. 
Simpson,  wounded  at  Manassas  and  Gettysburg;  A.   Stewart, 
wounded  at  Sharpsburg;  H.  G.  Settle,  wounded  at  Gettysburg, 
and  killed  near  Richmond  a  year  later;  C.  F.  Settle,  wounded 
and  captured  at  Gettysburg.    He  made  a  wonderful  escape  from 
Fort  Deleware  exactly  one  year  after;  W.  L.  Steel,  wounded 
at  Chickamauga;  J.  H.  Shepherd,  wounded  at  the  Wilderness; 
S.  H.  Watkins,  wounded  at  Gettysburg ;  D.  W.  Walker,  killed  at 
Manassas;  A.  Wolf,  wounded  at  Seven  Pines,  killed  at  Sharps- 
burg. 

The  other  members  were:  A.  Beasly,  Pat  Burns,  Robt 
Burns,  afterwards  brigade  commissary,  T.  E.  Bigbee,  J.  A.  Cam- 
eron, I.  Elesessor,  W.  B.  Ferrell,  W.  A.  George,  Wm.  McGowan, 
afterwards  Adjutant  of  the  Fifth  Texas  Regiment ;  G.  Miller,  F. 
M.  Poland,  C.  Stevens,  H.  P.  Welch,  S.  0.  Young. 

Of  the  entire  company  there  were  known  to  be  living  only 


276  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

the  following  in  1911 :  J.  A.  Cameron,  Houston,  Texas ;  B.  L. 
Dyer,  Opelika,  Ala.;  W.  A.  George,  Houston,  Texas;  James  E. 
Landes,  Chappel  Hill,  Texas ;  F.  M.  Poland,  Houston,  Texas ;  N. 
Pommery,  Clark  Milstret,  County  Cork,  Ireland;  Dr.  S.  0. 
Young,  Houston,  Texas. 

As  Texas  saw  but  little  of  the  real  warfare  of  the  Civil  War, 
the  chief  part  taken  by  Houston  as  by  other  Texas  cities  was  the 
furnishing  of  troops  for  the  great  battlefields  on  both  sides  of 
the  river.  The  reunions  of  the  larger  units  have  indicated  how 
heroically  Houston  did  her  share,  like  the  rest  of  the  South  rob- 
bing the  cradle  and  the  grave  to  send  soldiers  to  the  front.  Hun- 
dreds were  attached  to  other  organizations  and  thousands  of 
citizens  who  came  to  Houston  after  the  Civil  "War  had  participated 
in  the  great  conflict.  A  full  list  of  these  is  of  course  impossible. 
The  heroic  achievements  are  perpetuated  not  only  by  the  annual 
reunions  of  the  commands  named  but  also  by  the  local  lodge  of 
United  Confederate  Veterans.  It  is  certain  that  those  who  have 
been  or  are  now  citizens  of  Houston  fought  for  the  South  in 
every  battle  of  the  conflict.  Also  hundreds  of  Houstonians  par- 
ticipated on  the  other  side,  moving  to  this  city  after  the  war. 

Camp  Dick  Dowling  No.  197,  U.  C.  V.  was  organized  in  1892. 
The  late  General  C.  C.  Beavens  was  largely  instrumental  in 
organizing  it  and  creating  interest  and  enthusiasm.  The  year 
before,  he  had  organized  Camp  Magruder  at  Galveston  and  was 
a  most  enthusiastic  worker  in  all  that  promised  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  the  Confederate  soldier.  Camp  Dick  Dowling  is 
one  of  the  best  organized  and  hardest  working  camps  in  the 
South.  Its  membership  is  only  about  300,  but  its  meetings  are 
always  largely  attended  and  the  interest  shown  today  is  equal  in 
every  way  to  that  shown  when  the  organization  was  new.  Meet- 
ings are  held  twice  each  month,  at  which  lectures  and  talks  by 
the  comrades  are  given.  The  camp  looks  after  the  sick  and  indi- 
gent Confederate  soldiers,  not  only  among  its  own  members,  but 
all  others  to  whom  its  attention  is  called.  It  buries  its  dead  and 
no  Confederate  soldier  is  ever  allowed  to  occupy  a  paupers '  grave. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Camp  are:  J.  J.  Hall,  com- 
mander; Geo.  H.  Herman,  1st  lieut.  commander;  J.  T.  Glower, 


Societies  and  Clubs  277 

2nd  lieut.  commander;  Al  Longnaker,  3rd  lieut.  commander; 
W.  C.  Kelly,  adjutant;  Dr.  W.  A.  Haley,  surgeon;  Rev.  S.  H. 
Blair,  chaplain ;  J.  C.  Fowler,  officer  of  the  day ;  F.  R.  Jones, 
vidette;  M.  W.  McLeod,  flag  bearer. 

During  the  year  1910,  fourteen  members  of  the  Camp  died. 

Post  McLennan  No.  9,  G.  A.  R.  was  organized  in  1885,  and 
has  been  in  active  service  ever  since.  Not  having  such  abundant 
material  from  which  to  draw  as  the  Confederate  Veterans  had,  its 
membership  has  necessarily  been  limited.  Still  the  organization 
has  been  kept  intact  and  there  is  quite  as  much  interest  shown 
today  as  there  was  on  the  day  of  its  organization.  It  has  a 
ladies'  auxiliary,  which  does  an  immense  amount  of  good  work 
and  cares  for  the  sick  and  needy  of  the  Post.  There  are  about 
one  hundred  active  members  of  the  Post  and  Decoration  Day  is 
faithfully  observed  by  them. 

Houston  has  chapters  of  the  Spanish  American  War  Vet- 
erans and  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  both  of  which 
are  headed  by  Brigadier  General  James  A.  Waties,  and  has  also 
organizations  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  and 
other  patriotic  societies. 

The  Houston  Light  Guard,  the  military  company  most 
famous  in  peaceful  achievements  the  country  has  ever  known, 
was  organized  on  San  Jacinto  Day,  April  21,  1873.  Col.  Fairfax 
Gray,  who  had  served  in  the  United  States  Navy  before  the 
war,  and  who  had  rendered  distinguished  service  as  an  officer 
in  the  Confederate  Army,  was  the  first  captain  of  the  Guard. 
Soon  after  its  organization  interest  began  to  flag  and  the  com- 
pany soon  existed  in  name  only. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  some  of  the  most  zealous 
members  got  together  and  determined  to  reorganize  the  com- 
pany. Interest  among  the  others  was  revived  and  a  meeting 
was  called.  The  attendance  was  good  and  a  complete  reorgan- 
ization of  the  company  was  effected.  Captain  J.  R.  Coffin  was 
elected  captain.  The  renewed  interest  was  not  allowed  to  wane, 
and  the  new  captain  put  the  boys  to  drilling  and  did  everything 
possible  to  make  them  soldiers.  Uniforms  were  procured,  the  color 
being  cadet  gray,  better  known  as  Confederate  gray.  The  com- 


278  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

pany  worked  so  hard  and  accomplished  so  much  that  when 
the  carnival  of  King  Comus  occurred  in  February,  1874,  the 
company  took  part  in  the  parade,  the  members  wearing  their 
uniforms  for  the  first  time.  They  did  even  more  than  that, 
for  three  months  later,  in  May,  they  entered  in  a  competitive 
drill  against  four  outside  companies  at  the  Volk-fest  celebra- 
tion. They  did  not  get  the  prize  but  they  did  get  experience 
and  the  next  year,  at  Austin,  under  command  of  Captain  Joe 
Rice,  they  won  a  sword  valued  at  $500. 

The  company  acted  as  a  guard  of  honor  and  escort  to 
Ex-President  Davis  of  the  Confederacy,  and  has  the  distinction 
of  having  been  the  first  guard  of  honor  Mr.  Davis  had  after 
the  war.  The  ladies  of  Houston  presented  the  company  with  a 
beautiful  flag,  in  1875,  and  the  honorary  lady  members  pre- 
sented it  with  another  in  1882. 

In  the  early  eighties  the  martial  spirit  was  very  strong 
all  over  the  country,  particularly  in  the  South.  Military 
companies  became  all  the  rage  and  competition  between  them 
on  the  drill  ground  was  very  keen.  As  a  rule  the  members 
of  these  companies  bought  their  own  uniforms,  paid  their 
own  traveling  expenses  and  everything  of  that  sort.  The 
only  thing  the  government  furnished  them  was  arms.  The 
Houston  Light  Guard  was  ambitious.  Its  first  appearance  in 
an  interstate  drill  outside  of  Texas  was  at  New  Orleans  in 
1881.  It  was  beaten  by  three  companies,  but  got  fourth  prize, 
$500. 

Next  year  the  boys  went  to  the  interstate  drill  at  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.  They  were  again  beaten  by  three  companies,  com- 
ing out  fourth,  but  had  the  great  satisfaction  of  beating  the 
Lawrence  Light  Infantry,  a  crack  company  from  Boston,  Mass. 
The  people  of  Houston  stood  by  them  as  closely  in  their 
defeats  as  they  did  later  in  their  triumphs.  From  Nashville 
they  came  home  more  determined 'than  ever.  The  friends  of 
the  company,  the  business  men  of  Houston,  determined  that 
they  should  have  another  trial.  To  make  the  opportunity,  they 
got  together  and  raised  the  money  to  offer  handsome  prizes 
and  to  meet  the  cost  of  entertaining  the  visiting  companies  at 


Societies  and  Clubs  279 

an  interstate  drill  in  Houston.  The  fact  was  advertised  far  and 
wide  and  invitations  were  sent  to  all  the  prominent  military 
organizations  in  the  United  States.  That  was  in  1884.  A 
number  of  the  crack  companies  accepted  the  invitation.  Mr. 
H.  Baldwin  Rice  was  made  manager  of  the  drill.  The  "War 
Department  at  Washington,  appointed  three  army  officers  to 
act  as  judges  and  to  make  an  official  report  of  the  result  to 
the  government.  The  drill  ground  was  the  old  fair  grounds 
where  now  stands  the  south  end  "Fair  Grounds  Addition." 
Fannin  School  now  stands  within  a  few  feet  of  where  the 
stakes  and  lines  denning  the  drill  field  were  placed.  The  drill 
was  the  greatest  event  of  the  kind  that  had  ever  taken  place, 
and  all  the  famous  military  organizations  in  the  country  were 
here.  The  drill  lasted  for  a  week,  a  certain  number  of  com- 
panies drilling  each  day  in  the  state  or  interstate  contest.  All 
companies  that  had  ever  taken  part  in  an  interstate  drill  were 
barred  from  the  state  drill.  The  first  prize  for  interstate  com- 
panies was  $5,000.  From  that  the  prizes  were  reduced,  so 
that  the  last  prize  was  only  about  one-fourth  of  that  amount. 
The  companies  competing  in  the  interstate  drill  were  the 
Treadway  Rifles,  of  St.  Louis ;  the  Columbus  Guards,  of  Colum- 
bus, Ga. ;  the  Montgomery  Greys,  of  Montgomery,  Ala. ;  the 
Washington  Guards,  of  Galveston,  and  the  Houston  Light 
Guard.  These  were  the  crack  military  companies  of  the  United 
States  and  most  of  them  had  national  reputations,  and  were 
commanded  by  the  best  militia  officers  in  the  country. 

The  Houston  Light  Guard  put  up  one  of  the  most  perfect 
drills  ever  witnessed  and  won  the  first  prize.  Omitting  the 
figures  grading  the  several  parts  of  the  drill,  the  totals  are 
given  here : 

Houston  Light  Guard,  2.66;  Treadway  Rifles,  2.55;  Colum- 
bus Guards,  2.35 ;  Mobile  Rifles,  2.29 ;  Montgomery  Greys,  2.28 ; 
Washington  Guards,  1.95.  A  perfect  drill  would  have  given 
3.00,  the  maximum  score. 

The  following  memorandum  on  the  drill  was  submitted  by 
the  judges: 

"Houston  Light  Guard. — It  is  observed  that  the  inspection 


280  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

was  nearly  perfect.  The  appearance  of  the  men  in  their  dress, 
arms  and  accoutrements,  and  their  neatness,  exceeded  anything 
we  have  seen  anywhere — each  man  like  a  color  man  at  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point.  Captain  Scurry  had 
not  proceeded  far  in  the  program  when,  while  wheeling  his 
company  from  column  of  twos,  improperly,  the  company  was 
placed  in  a  position  from  which  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
extricate  it,  except  as  done,  exhibiting  great  presence  of  mind 
on  the  captain's  part. 

"Captain  Scurry's  appreciation  of  the  program  and  its 
requirements  was  superior  to  that  of  the  other  commanders. 

' '  The  ground  was  laid  out  with  the  view  to  testing  the  length 
and  cadence  of  the  step  in  quick  and  double  time.  A  company 
marching  as  contemplated  in  the  method  applied  would  take 
the  following  number  of  steps  in  quick  and  double  time,  and  in 
the  time  specified.  In  quick  time,  284  steps  in  2  minutes  and 
35  seconds ;  in  double  time,  284  steps  in  1  minute  and  26  seconds. 
The  Houston  Light  Guard  made  the  following  record :  In  quick 
time,  283  steps  in  2  minutes  and  35  seconds;  in  double  time  in 
1  minute  and  27  seconds.  Aside  from  all  practice  in  this  par- 
ticular, the  result  was  almost  phenomenal.  Captain  Scurry  was 
"the  only  one  who  marched  upon  the  flags  with  guide  to  the  left, 
as  directed  by  the  judges." 

The  Houston  Light  Guard,  having  won  all  it  cared  for — 
fame,  offered  to  divide  the  money  prize  among  the  visiting  com- 
panies, all  of  whom  had  been  at  heavy  expense.  This  offer  was 
refused,  with  thanks,  of  course.  The  next  year,  1885,  the  com- 
pany, under  Captain  Scurry,  won  three  first  prizes  in  interstate 
drills,  footing  up  $12,000.  The  first  was  at  Mobile,  Alabama,  in 
May,  and  the  second,  a  few  days  later  at  New  Orleans.  The 
third  was  in  July,  at  Fairmount  Park,  Philadelphia.  In  this 
drill  and  encampment  all  sections  of  the  country  were  represent- 
ed, there  being  seventy-five  companies  there.  Only  about  one-half 
of  them  entered  the  competitive  drill.  The  Houston  Light  Guard 
took  first  prize,  which  was  a  purse  of  $4,000  and  a  flag  valued 
at  $500. 

From  Philadelphia  the  company  went  to  New  York,  where 


Societies  and  Clubs 

they  were  handsomely  entertained  at  the  armories  of  two  of 
the  famous  New  York  regiments.  It  is  but  a  matter  of  justice 
to  give  here  the  names  of  the  men  and  officers  who  made  the 
Houston  Light  Guards,  ' '  World  Beaters. ' '  They  are  as  follows  : 

Captain,  Thomas  Scurry;  1st  lieutenant,  F.  A.  Reichardt; 
2nd  lieutenant,  T.  H.  Franklin;  3rd  lieutenant,  Spencer  Hutch- 
ins;  quartermaster,  W.  A.  Childress;  surgeon,  Dr.  S.  0.  Young, 
at  and  after  the  Philadelphia  drill;  1st  sergeant,  George  L. 
Price ;  2nd  sergeant,  R.  A.  Scurry ;  1st  corporal,  H.  D.  Taylor ; 
2nd  corporal,  W.  K.  Mendenhall ;  3rd  corporal,  George  N.  Torrey ; 
privates — Byers,  Barnett,  Bates,  Bull,  Byers,  Cook,  Dealy,  Foss, 
Golihart,  Hodgson,  Hutchins,  Heyer,  Reynaud,  Swanson,  John- 
son, Journey,  Wilson,  R.  Kattman,  E.  Kattman,  Lewis,  Mahoney, 
Mitchell,  McKeever,  Powell,  Randolph,  Steele,  Sawyer,  Sharpe, 
Tyler,  Taft,  Taylor,  Torrey,  Wisby;  perpetual  drummer,  John 
Sessums  (colored.) 

The  next  great  victory  of  the  Light  Guard  was  at  Galveston 
where  it  took  first  prize,  a  purse  of  $4,500,  over  the  Montgomery 
True  Blues,  San  Antonio  Rifles,  Branch  Guards,  (St.  Louis), 
Company  F,  Louisville  Legion  and  Belknapp  Rifles  of  San 
Antonio.  This  was.  perhaps  the  most  perfect  drill  ever  witnessed 
in  the  United  States,  and  excited  widespread  wonder  and  admira- 
tion among  military  men  and  the  public  generally. 

The  company  went  to  Austin  in  1888,  and  again  took  first 
prize,  $5,000,  in  competition  with  the  flower  of  interstate  com- 
panies. The  next  year  Galveston  wanted  to  give  a  great  drill, 
and  did  so,  but  the  Houston  Light  Guard  was  barred,  so  as  not  to 
bluff  off  other  companies  from  competing.  That  was  the  highest 
honor  the  company  ever  had  conferred  on  it.  The  people  of 
Galveston  had  the  LighJ  Guard  as  their  guests  and  gave  them 
$500  for  an  exhibition  drill. 

The  Houston  Light  Guard  showed  that  they  were  not 
merely  fancy  soldiers  when  the  war  with  this  country  and  Spain 
began,  for  they  volunteered  promptly,  and  under  the  command 
of  Captain  George  McCormick,  went  to  the  front.  They  served 
in  Florida  and  Cuba.  When  peace  negotiations  began,  Captain 
McCormick  returned  home  and  the  lamented  R.  A.  Scurry  became 


282  History  of  Houston,  Texas    . 

captain  of  the  company,  and  in  due  time  returned  home  with  it. 

The  company  owns  its  armory,  the  handsomest  in  the  state. 
It  was  erected  in  part  with  the  money  the  company  earned  in 
prizes — about  $30,000.  Some  bonds  were  issued.  These  will 
mature  in  a  few  months,  but  are  all  provided  for. 

The  names  of  the  Captains  of  the  company  since  its  organ- 
ization are  as  follows:  Fairfax  Gray,  John  Coffin,  Joe  S.  Rice, 
George  Price,  James  S.  Baker,  Jr.,  Thomas  Scurry,  F.  A.  Reich- 
ardt,  George  McCormick,  R.  A.  Scurry,  C.  Hutchinson,  Milby 
Porter.  Dallas  J.  Matthews  is  the  present  capable  commander. 

For  a  long  time  in  the  Texas  National  Guard  Houston  has 
boasted  a  crack  troop  of  cavalry.  This  troop  served  during  the 
Spanish  American  war  as  Troop  A,  First  Texas  Cavalry,  U.  S. 
V.  Major  Towles  was  then  captain  and  C.  C.  Beavens  first  lieu- 
tenant. Towles  was  made  major  and  Beavens  promoted  to  be 
captain.  An  officer  of  this  troop,  James  A.  Waties,  was  made 
colonel  of  the  regiment  and  afterwards  promoted  to  be  a  briga- 
dier general.  He  was  succeeded  by  Luther  R.  Hare,  who  subse- 
quently also  won  a  promotion  to  a  brigadiership.  Among  the 
Houston  citizens  who  were  officers  in  this  regiment  are  John  A. 
Hulen,  Jake  Wolters,  J.  Towles,  B.  H.  Carroll,  Jr.,  and  C.  C. 
Beavens. 

Troop  A.  has  always  been  the  crack  troop  of  the  cavalry 
branch  of  the  T.  N.  G. 

The  Jeff  Miller  Rifles,  which  belong  to  the  Second  Infantry 
regiment  of  the  T.  N.  G.  is  also  a  noted  Houston  company.  For 
some  years  this  company  has  been  commanded  by  Captain  C.  C. 
Breedlove. 

The  No-Tsu-Oh  Association  is  chartered  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  an  annual  carnival  for  the  entertainment  of  the  people 
of  the  state.  It  is  not  organized  for  revenue  and  is  sustained 
entirely  by  membership  fees  and  subscriptions  made  by  Houston 
business  men. 

The  first  carnival  was  held  in  1899  and  was  such  a  success 
that  it  was  determined  to  perpetuate  the  entertainment  so  that 
now  it  is  an  incorporated  concern  and  spends  about  $30,000  each 
year  for  fun  and  frolic.  There  is  a  new  president,  king  and 


Societies  and  Clubs  283 

queen  each  year,  those  who  have  borne  those  honors  in  the  past 
being  the  following: 

PRESIDENTS. 

1899,  Norman  S.  Meldrum;  1900,  B.  F.  Bonner;  1901, 
James  H.  Adair;  1902,  John  McClellan;  1903,  H.  T.  Keller; 
1904,  G.  J.  Palmer;  1905,  Charles  D.  Golding;  1906,  George  N. 
Long,  Jr. ;  1907,  W.  D.  Cleveland,  Jr. ;  1908,  James  A.  Radford ; 
1909,  David  Daly;  1910,  Geo.  P.  Brown;  1911,  David  A.  Burke. 

KINGS. 

1899,  A.  C.  Allen;  1900,  John  H.  Kirby;  1901,  Dennis  Call; 
1902,  Jesse  H.  Jones;  1903,  B.  F.  Bonner;  1904,  Presley. K. 
Ewing;  1905,  Jo.  S.  Rice;  1906,  C.  K.  Dunlap;  1907,  H.  M. 
Garwood ;  1908,  James  D.  Dawson ;  1909,  James  A.  Baker ;  1910, 
W.  T.  Carter;  1911,  Dr.  Edgar  Odell  Lovett. 

QUEENS. 

1899,  Miss  Annie  Quinlan;  1900,  Miss  Julia  Mae  Morse; 
1901,  Miss  Aygusta  Goodhue ;  1902,  Miss  Clara  Robinson ;  1903, 
Miss  Bessie  Kirby ;  1904,  Miss  Florence  Carter ;  1905,  Miss  Sallie 
Sewall;  1906,  Miss  Gertrude  Paine;  1907,  Miss  Alice  Baker; 
1908,  Miss  Mamie  Shearn;  1909,  Miss  Lillian  Neuhans;  1910, 
Miss  Laura  Rice ;  1911,  Miss  Annie  Vive  Carter. 

A  glance  at  the  list  of  presidents,  kings  and  queens  above 
will  show  that  the  best  people  of  the  city  have  constantly  co-op- 
erated in  making  the  No-Tsu-Oh  carnival  a  success.  A  week 
in  November  of  each  year  is  devoted  to  festivities,  parades,  and 
carnival  features  modeled  on  the  Mardi  Gras  carnivals  of  New 
Orleans  and  European  cities.  Large  crowds  are  drawn  to 
Houston  during  the  week.  The  two  great  events  of  the  carnival 
are  the  annual  foot-ball  game  played  between  the  University  of 
Texas  and  A.  &  M.  College,  and  the  Queen's  Coronation  Ball. 

An  attempt  is  being  made  to  give  the  carnival  more  of  an 
exposition  character  but  so  far  without  great  success. 

Houston's  oldest  social  organization  is  the  Z.  Z.  Dancing 
Club.  This  was  organized  over  40  years  ago,  and  its  balls  and 
cotillions  during  each  year  are  of  rare  beauty.  The  Z.  Z.  Club 
for  many  years  has  introduced  the  debutantes  at  the  opening  of 


284  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

each  social  season  with  a  debutantes'  cotillion  preceded  by  a 
reception  at  the  home  of  the  president  of  the  club. 

Spencer  Hutchins,  the  former  Ward  McAllister  of  Houston, 
made  the  club  famous.  In  recent  years  Hon.  Presley  K.  Ewing 
has  served  several  terms  as  president.  He  was  succeeded  in 
1910  by  J.  M.  Gary,  the  present  popular  president. 

Part  of  the  membership  of  this  club  in  July,  1901,  organized 
the  Thalian  Club — a  regular  social  organization.  Its  first  presi- 
dent was  Major  J.  F.  Dickson.  The  Thalian  Club  built  a  hand- 
some modern  club  house  at  the  corner  of  Rusk  Avenue  and  San 
Jacinto  Street  in  1907,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000,  and  its  social  func- 
tions have  been  very  elaborate.  Among  its  presidents  have  been 
numbered  the  most  prominent  men  of  the  city  in  business  and 
social  life.  Its  presidents  have  been,  in  the  following  order: 
Major  John  F.  Dickson,  Mr.  R.  S.  Lovett,  Major  John  F.  Dick- 
son,  Hon.  Frank  Andrews,  Col.  J.  S.  Rice,  Capt.  S.  Taliaferro, 
Hon.  H.  M.  Garwood,  Hon.  John  Charles  Harris,  and  Mr. 
Joseph  Hellen. 

The  present  officers  of  the  club  are:  E.  K.  Dillingham, 
president;  J.  G.  Maillot,  vice-president;  Murray  B.  Jones,  sec- 
retary; J.  F.  Dickson,  Jr.,  treasurer,  and  W.  L.  Thaxton,  man- 
ager. 

The  Houston  Country  Club  was  organized  in  1904  by  a 
number  of  Houston  club  men  and  golf  enthusiasts.  In  1909  the 
club  purchased  grounds  near  Harrisburg  and  on  Bray's  Bayou, 
aggregating  158  acres  of  beautiful  woodland  and  lawns.  Exten- 
sive improvements  have  been  made  and  a  club  house  of  the  best 
bungalow  type  and  containing  every  modern  utility  combined 
with  taste  and  beauty  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $125,000  for  house 
and  grounds. 

The  club  has  the  finest  golf  links  in  the  South.  A  course  of 
18  holes  exists  with  fine  natural  hazards. 

Those  instrumental  in  organizing  the  club  were  Joe  Rice,  E. 
B.  Parker,  W.  W.  Dexter,  T.  B.  Timpson,  C.  D.  Golding  and 
others.  The  membership  is  limited  to  500. 

Its  presidents  have  been,  in  the  order  named :  Joe  Rice,  Wm. 
M.  Rice,  and  Edwin  B.  Parker,  the  present  president. 


Societies  and  Clubs  285 

A  down-town  business  men's  club,  known  as  the  Houston 
Club,  was  organized  in  1894.  Most  of  the  business  men  of  the 
city  belong  and  the  entire  top  floor  of  the  Chronicle  Building 
and  the  beautiful  roof  garden  are  utilized  by  the  club.  From 
1902  until  1910,  for  some  reason,  the  club  ceased  to  exist  as  an 
active  organization,  but  in  1910,  interest  was  revived,  new  blood 
was  infused  and  the  Houston  Club  takes  rank  as  one  of  the  most 
useful  social  organizations  in  the  city.  It's  officers,  since  its  organ- 
ization have  been: 
1894-95— President,  0.  T.  Holt;  Secretary  and  Treasure^  L.  J. 

Parks. 

1895-96 — The  same  officers. 
1896-97 — President,   J.   F.   Dickson;   Secretary  and   Treasurer, 

Ennis  Cargill. 
1897-98 — President,  Jno.  F.  Dickson ;  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 

Ennis  Cargill,  resigned,  L.  Hoenthal,  appointed. 
1898-99 — President,  Jno.  F.  Dickson;  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 

L.  Hoenthal. 
1899-1900 — President,  Jos.  F.  Dickson ;  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 

B.  P.  Bailey,  resigned,  Joseph  Hellen,  appointed. 
1900-01 — President,  Jno.  F.  Dickson;  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 

Joseph  Hellen. 
1901-02 — President  and  Secretary  same  as  the  year  before. 

After  1902  the  club  was  not  active  until  its  reorganization  in 
1910. 

In  1910-11  Mr.  C.  K.  Dunlap  was  elected  president  and  Mr. 
T.  H.  Stone  secretary-treasurer.  Soon  after  his  election  Mr. 
Dunlap  resigned  and  Mr.  Stone  was  chosen  to  succeed  him. 
The  officers  of  the  club  are  at  present:  T.  H.  Stone,  president; 
E.  A.  Peden,  vice-president;  Arch.  MacDonald,  secretary  and 
treasurer. 

Houston  is  fairly  well  supplied  with  charitable  institutions. 
While  most  of  the  members  of  these  organizations  belong  to 
some  religious  body,  many  of  them  are  members  of  no  church, 
but  all  are  influenced  by  that  true  spirit  of  Christianity  which 
finds  expression  in  aiding  the  poor,  relieving  suffering  and  visit- 
ing the  sick  and  afflicted. 


286  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

The  central  organization  is  the  United  Charities.  This 
organization  has  a  modest  office  in  the  Binz  Building  and  all  its 
work  is  carried  on  in  the  field.  Its  objects  are  to  aid  the  worthy 
poor  and  to  check  the  impositions  of  the  unworthy  to  minister  to 
the  sick  and  "destitute,  and  aid  the  unemployed  to  secure  work. 
The  association  owns  no  property  and  is  supported  entirely  by 
voluntary  contributions.  The  annual  sale  of  "red  badges,"  on 
the  day  before  Christmas,  by  the  association  is  one  of  its  chief 
revenue  producers.  From  this  source  alone  it  derives  between 
$3,000  and  $4,000  every  year. 

The  ladies  of  Christ  Church  established  the  Sheltering  Arms 
in  1903,  and  since  its  opening  it  has  sheltered  140  old  and  desti- 
tute women.  It  owns  its  own  property  and,  in  addition,  has  a 
small  endowment.  The  Catholics  maintain  St.  Anthony's  Home. 
This  is  a  home  for  old  men  and  old  women.  The  capacity  of  the 
home  is  fifty  and  it  is  generally  full.  The  oldest  charitable 
institution  is  Bayland  Orphon's  Home.  This  was  originally 
intended  as  a  home  for  the  orphaned  children  of  Confederate  sol- 
diers. It  was  organized  in  1867  and  was  located  at  Bayland,  on 
Galveston  Bay.  In  1888  it  was  removed  to  Hereston  and  now 
occupies  a  34-acre  tract  of  land  adjoining  Woodland  Heights. 
It  cares  for  about  30  children  each  year. 

A  school  has  been  maintained  ever  since  the  organization 
of  the  home.  Since  its  removal  to  Houston  a  teacher  has  been 
employed,  the  sessions  of  the  school  corresponding  to  those  of  the 
city  school.  The  county  paid  to  it  its  proportion  of  the  state 
tax,  but  since  the  extension  of  the  city  limits  brought  the  home 
within  the  city  limits,  the  city  has  appointed  and  paid  for  a 
teacher,  the  amount  paid  by  the  city  being  supplemented  by  the 
home.  The  present  managers  are :  James  Bruce,  superintendent ; 
R.  M.  Elgin,  William  Christian,  R.  B.  Baer,  J.  V.  Dealy,  E.  W. 
Taylor,  J.  F.  Meyer  and  H.  J.  Dannebaum,  board  of  directors. 

The  Star  of  Hope  is  a  mission,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Baptist  churches  of  Houston  for  the  immediate  assistance  and 
help  of  homeless  and  destitute  men.  It  was  founded  by  Rev. 
Mordecai  F.  Ham,  an  evangelist,  and  Richard  Dowling,  a  brilliant 
man  who  had  gone  to  the  gutter  through  drink  and  was  reclaimed. 


Societies  and  Clubs  287 

The  mission  is  located  on  Franklin  Avenue,  near  the  bayou,  and 
provides  beds  and  meals  for  unemployed  men  and  helps  them  to 
secure  employment.  Daily  religious  services  are  held  and  a 
reading  room  and  employment  bureau  is  maintained.  It  was 
organized  in  1907. 

About  the  same  time  the  Salvation  Army  in  Houston  estab- 
lished a  free  relief  and  dispensory  department  and  by  the  furnish- 
ing of  medicines  to  the  very  poor  and  by  the  assistance  of  the 
local  physicians  has  done  a  large  work. 

The  Houston  Settlement  Association  is  not  a  charitable  insti- 
tution, but  is  largely  a  social  one.  By  whatever  name  it  may  be 
designated  it  is  one  of  the  most  useful  and  helpful  organizations 
of  the  kind  in  the  city.  Its  formal  organization  dates  from  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1907,  when  about  a  dozen  ladies  met  at  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  James  A.  Baker  and  banded  themselves  together  for  the 
purpose  of  extending  educational,  industrial,  social  and  friendly 
aid  to  all  those  within  their  reach.  That  was  the  formal  organiza- 
tion of  the  association  .of  today,  though  the  nucleus  for  it  had 
existed  for  a  year  or  two  before  then  in  the  sewing  class,  organized 
by  Mrs.  M.  M.  Archer  and  several  young  lady  assistants,  among 
the  pupils  of  the  Rusk  School,  in  January,  1904.  This  sewing 
class  met  once  £ach  week  in  the  Womans '  Club  free  kindergarten 
room. 

The  association  is  non-sectarian,  there  being  representatives 
of  all  creeds  and  beliefs  on  its  board  of  directors.  It  has  a  mem- 
bership of  about  two  hundred  and  derives  its  support  from  vol- 
untary contributions. 

The  association  has  in  its  charge  the  free  kindergarten  of 
the  second  ward;  a  Womans'  club;  the  Alpha  club,  a  social 
association  of  young  men,  and  minor  organizations.  Its  greatest 
work  is  in  cooperation  with  the  school  authorities,  in  establishing 
and  maintaining  a  domestic  science  department  in  the  Rusk 
School. 

The  officers  of  the  association  are :  President,  Mrs.  Jarnes  A. 
Baker;  first  vice-president,  Mrs.  Frank  Andrews,  second  vice- 
president,  Mrs.  John  McClelland;  treasurer,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Crews; 


288  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  P.  B.  Simpson,  and  recording 
secretary,  Mrs.  D.  C.  Glenn. 

If  ever  an  institution  were  properly  named  it  is  the  DePel- 
chin  Faith  Home,  for  it  was  started  entirely  on  faith,  without  a 
cent  in  its  treasury,  if  it  can  be  said  to  have  had  a  treasury, 
and  with  no  visible  source  of  income.  Faith  in  the  big-hearted 
people  of  Houston  was  its  sole  asset.  Mrs.  E.  N.  Gray  thus  tells 
its  story  in  "The  Key  to  the  City  of  Houston:" 

"This  is  one  of  the  most  appealing  benevolences  of  our  city, 
for  it  has  to  do  with  the  needs  of  distressed  children.  And  hard 
indeed  is  the  heart  which  is  not  touched  by  the  cry  of  a  little 
child. 

"This  institution  owes  its  inception  to  the  big-heartedness 
of  Mrs.  Kenzia  DePelchin,  who  was  practically  aided  in  her 
noble  undertaking  by  some  of  the  ladies  of  our  city. 

"Mrs.  Kenzia  DePelchin 's  life  is  as  interesting  as  a  story. 
She  spent  many  years  in  Houston,  an  angel  of  mercy  to  the  sick 
and  destitute.  The  home  which  she  founded  for  homeless  chil- 
dren stands  today  as  a  significant  monument  to  her  life  of  service 
and  devotion  to  the  cause  of  helpless  humanity. 

"Born  in  the  Maderia  Islands,  of  English  parents,  she  was 
left  an  orphan  when  very  young,  but  under  the  care  of  an  aunt 
she  came  to  Texas,  while  yet  a  girl,  and  then  her  life  of  ministry 
began.  She  was  first  a  music  teacher,  and  later  she  was  in  Drs. 
Stuart  &  Boyle's  sanitarium  as  one  of  its  most  capable  nurses. 
During  the  dreadful  yellow  fever  scourge  of  1878  she  went 
to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  gave  heroic  service.  When  urged  to 
accept  the  money  donated  to  pay  the  nurses,  she  accepted  it  only 
to  turn  it  over  to  a  worthy  charity  of  that  city. 

' '  The  last  part  of  her  life  was  spent  as  matron  of  the  Bayland 
Orphans'  Home.  In  the  spring  of  1892,  two  homeless  little  ones 
were  picked  up  by  her  and  a  notice  put  in  the  Post  announcing 
that  a  home  would  be  begun  at  once.  She  spent  the  night  in 
prayer  and  the  next  morning  a  benevolent  woman  of  Houston 
went  to  see  her.  This  was  Mrs.  W.  C.  Crane. 

' l  With  the  aid  of  this  lady  a  small  cottage  was  rented  and  a 
lady  was  found  who  would  loan  her  furniture  and  act  as  matron. 


Societies  and  Clubs  289 

Then  the  home  was  a  fact,  without  one  dollar  ahead  and  only  a 
crib  for  possession.  On  Monday,  May  2,  Mrs.  Crane  took  out 
some  ice  cream  and  cake  and  Mrs.  DePelchin  took  the  orphans 
from  Bayland  Home  to  the  cottage,  where  they  sang  their  little 
hymns  and  with  simple  ceremony  in  Mrs.  DePelchin 's  own  words, 
'they  christened  Bayland 's  little  sister  Faith  Home.'  The 
orphans  enjoyed  the  ride  and  the  unwonted  feast,  and  the  guests 
departed  with  a  vivid  memory  of  that  May  day  opening. 

"From  the  small  beginning  in  1892,  the  institution  has 
grown  and  developed,  until  today  it  is  one  of  the  best  equipped 
of  the  city's  charities,  with  its  own  handsome  brick  building  and 
its  many  happy-faced  little  ones,  sheltered  by  its  watchful  care. 

"The  Faith  Home  as  it  now  exists,  was  organized  January 
20,  1893,  and  soon  after  applied  for  a  charter.  It  was  called 
'Faith  Home'  because  the  heroic  founder  of  that  institution 
placed  her  faith  in  God  and  the  kind  hearts  of  the  Houston 
people. 

"This  home  is  not  primarily  an  orphan  asylum,  but  it  is  a 
comfortable  home,  situated  on  the  corner  of  Chenevert  Street  and 
Pierce  Avenue,  where  the  father  who  has  lost  his  wife  may  place 
his  little  ones  until  he  can  provide  home  care  for  them  again;  a 
home  where  the  mother  may  shelter  her  helpless  children  while 
she  earns  a  living;  a  home  where  good  care,  the  best  of  medical 
attention,  wholesome  food  and  wise,  sanitary  surroundings  rae 
furnished  for  the  helpless  children,  either  orphaned  of  father's 
and  mother's  care  or  dependent  upon  the  one  parent,  too  bur- 
dened to  meet  their  need.  The  parent  who  places  his  child  there 
is  supposed  to  pay  three  dollars  a  month,  so  long  as  he  has  work. 
This  is  of  necessity  an  uncertain  and  very  limited  source  of 
income.  Therefore  it  is  incumbent  on  the  general  public  to  see 
that  this  institution  is  fitly  supported.  There  are  always  some 
forty  children  in  the  home. 

"The  board  of  directors  consist  of  the  officers  and  chairmen 
of  the  various  committees.  They  are:  President,  Mrs.  T.  W. 
House;  vice-president  at  large,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Bryan;  treasurer, 
Mrs.  F.  A.  Reichardt ;  secretary,  Mrs.  Jonathan  Lane.  Mrs.  J.  W. 
McKee,  Miss  H.  Levy,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Parker,  Mrs.  Carter  Walker, 


290  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Mrs.  Ed.  Mackey,  "Mrs.  B.  F.  Weems,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Chew,  and  Mrs. 
G.  S.  Shannon  are  heads  of  committees;  Mrs.  Kerven  is  the 
matron. ' ' 

The  Florence  Crittendon  Rescue  Home  for  Girls  was  organ- 
ized November  17,  1896,  with  the  following  officers  and  directors : 
W.  B.  Jones,  president ;  I.  S.  Myer,  vice-president ;  G.  W.  Heyer, 
treasurer;  A.  G.  Howell,  secretary;  Mesdames  Belle  Blandin,  D. 
R.  Cunningham,  E.  S.  Tracy,  W.  H.  Peregoy,  S.  Beaty,  Messrs. 
E.  F.  McGowan,  W.  D.  Cleveland,  Sr.,  E.  W.  Taylor,  S.  E.  Cal- 
vitt,  Frank  W.  Fox  and  George  Henrickson,  directors.  Two  and 
one-half  lots,  on  the  corner  of  Elgin  Avenue  and  Caroline  Street 
were  purchased  for  $700  in  February,  1907,  and  by  September, 
the  same  year,  the  home  was  built  and  Mrs.  Yates  installed  as 
matron.  On  September  16,  she  reported  one  girl  in  the  home. 
Since  then  the  average  number  of  girls  in  the  home  has  been 
about  seven  per  month.  These  girls  come  from  all  parts  of  the 
state  and  none  is  ever  refused  admission. 

The  home  is  not  altogether  a  charitable  institution,  though 
it  is  made  as  nearly  so  as  possible.  So  long  as  a  girl  is  trying  to 
live  a  decent  life  and  is  out  of  employment  the  home  is  open  to 
her  and  the  officials  assist  her  in  finding  employment.  She  is 
charged  for  board  and  medical  treatment  and  when  she  finds 
employment  she  must  pay  to  the  home  one-fifth  of  her  wages 
until  the  amount  reaches  $34.  These  are  the  rules  for  out-of-town 
girls.  During  the  past  15  years  more  than  1,000  girls  have  been 
helped  by  the  home. 

The  home  is  without  endowment  and  is  supported  by  vol- 
untary subscriptions.  The  present  officers  and  directors  are: 
W.  B.  Jones,  president;  Mrs.  E.  N.  Gray,  vice-president;  A.  G. 
Howell,  treasurer ;  J.  C.  Harris,  recording  secretary ;  Mrs.  L.  S. 
Hubbell,  corresponding  secretary;  Mrs.  Charles  Stewart,  I.  S. 
Myer,  "W.  A.  Wilson  and  Rev.  Dr.  J.  L.  Gross  are  directors. 

The  Wesley  House,  a  Christian  center  for  social  educational 
and  religious  activities  is  maintained  by  the  Board  of  City 
Missions,  an  organization  composed  of  representatives  from  all 
the  Methodist  churches  in  the  city.  Its  departments  of  work  are : 
A  home  for  self-supporting  young  women,  a  kindergarten,  night 


Societies  and  Clubs  291 

classes  for  foreigners,  a  committee  for  daily  visiting,  an  indus- 
trial school,  athletic  classes  for  young  women,  a  Sunday  school, 
and  preaching  in  Spanish  the  first  Sunday  afternoon  of  each 
month.  Miss  Mattie  Wright  is  the  superintendent  and  Miss 
Audrey  Wade  is  matron.  They  have  six  efficient  assistant 
workers. 

The  Wesley  House  Board,  in  1907,  established  the  Young 
Women's  Co-operative  Home  for  homeless  wage-earning  girls. 
It  cares  for  about  33  girls  at  a  time  and  an  effort  is  being  made 
to  secure  $40,000  to  erect  a  home  that  will  accommodate  300 
working  girls  who  labor  for  wages  lower  than  the  cost  of  sub- 
sistance.  Much  good  has  been  accomplished  by  the  home  and  it 
seems  to  be  on  the  threshold  of  a  wider  usefulness. 

The  Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  while  it  has 
never  received  loyal  support  from  the  citizens  has  accomplished 
much  for  girls  and  has  a  comportable  home  where  many  young 
women  board.  Gymnasium  work  and  a  downtown  lunch  for 
working  girls  in  a  rest  room  have  also  been  wholesome  features. 
There  is  a  movement  to  build  a  suitable  home  for  the  Y.  W. 
C.  A.,  similar  to  that  occupied  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Among  the  Jewish  people  of  the  city  there  has  been  a  good 
work  done  by  the  Jewish  Charity  Home. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Societies  and  Clubs — Continued 


First  Literary  Society.  Organization  of  Houston  Lyceum. 
Early  Efforts  to  Establish  a  Library.  The  Houston  Lyceum 
and  Carnegie  Library.  The  Ladies  Reading  Club.  Ladies 
Shakespeare  Club.  The  Two  other  Shakespeare  Clubs. 
Current  Literature  Club.  Houston  Pen  Women's  Associa- 
tion. Houston  Branch  of  Dickens  Fellowship.  Lady  Wash- 
ington Chapter.  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 
San  Jacinto  Chapter  No.  2,  Daughters  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas.  Robert  E.  Lee  Chapter  186,  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy.  Oran  M.  Roberts  Chapter  440,  U.  D.  C. 


While  Houston  and  Galveston  have  always  been  bitterly 
opposed  to  each  other  commercially,  they  have  ever  been  the 
best  friends  and  have  united  their  efforts  to  forward  and  pro- 
mote all  that  contributed  to  intellectual  life.  As  early  as  1845-46 
there  was  a  literary  club,  or  lyceum,  which,  while  located  in  Gal- 
veston, was  loyally  supported  by  Houstonians.  Dr.  Ashbel 
Smith,  Dr.  McC  raven  and  Dr.  Me  Anally  were  young  men  at 
that  time  and  took  great  interest  in  the  lyceum  and  contributed 
regularly  to  the  monthly  meetings,  lectures,  debates  and  papers 
on  chosen  subjects.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  first  literary 
society  organized  in  Texas  and  is  mentioned  here  because  of  the 
fact  that  Houstonians  took  such  a  leading  part  in  its  affairs. 

The  Galveston  institution  did  not  ante-date  that  of  Hous- 
ton very  much,  however,  for  in  1848  the  Houston  Lyceum  was 
chartered  and  has  been  in  existence  ever  since,  though  at  times 
very  quiet  and  inert.  It  has  had  several  rather  long  periods  of 
rest,  only  to  awaken  to  new  life  and  renewed  activity.  Soon 
after  it  obtained  its  charter  it  lapsed  into  a  period  of  inertia  and 
remained  so  until  1854  when  it  was  revived  for  a  time  and  it 
was  thought  there  would  be  no  further  lapses. 


Societies  and  Clubs — Continued  293 

The  objects  and  purposes  of  the  Lyceum  as  outlined  in  a 
statement  made  in  1854  were:  "To  diffuse  knowledge  among 
its  members,  intelligence  and  information  by  a  library,  by  lec- 
tures on  various  subjects  and  by  discussion  of  such  questions  as 
may  elicit  useful  information  and  produce  improvement  in  the 
art  of  public  speaking."  At  that  time  382  volumes  had  been 
gotten  together  and  a  book  case  was  purchased.  The  Lyceum 
had  no  income  except  that  derived  from  dues  and  an  occasional 
donation,  so  its  existence  was  very  precarious.  During  the  war 
it  was,  of  course,  in  a  comatose  state,  but  in  1865  it  again  became 
active. 

Interest  was  soon  allowed  to  die  out  and  not  until  1877  was 
an  effort  made  to  revive  it.  In  that  year  its  managers  raised 
funds  for  it  by  a  series  of  musical  and  dramatic  entertainments, 
and  the  reading  room  was  thrown  open  to  the  public.  The  city 
also  came  to  the  assistance  of  the  association  and  donated  the 
use  of  a  large  room  in  the  city  hall,  known  as  "The  Banquet 
Hall."  A  great  mistake  that  the  association  had  made — that 
of  restricting  the  membership  to  males — was  corrected  in  1888, 
and  from  the  moment  the  ladies  were  admitted,  the  association 
took  on  renewed  and  permanent  life. 

For  a  while  Mr.  Bonner  McCraven  acted  as  secretary  with- 
out compensation.  The  ladies  made  a  gallant  fight  to  have  the 
city  take  over  the  library,  but  failed.  After  a  long  stretch  of 
adversity  it  was  decided  to  issue  check  books  at  $3  each  which 
would  entitle  those  who  bought  them  to  take  books  from  the 
library.  Mrs.  M.  H.  Foster  was  employed  as  librarian  at  a  small 
salary  and  worked  faithfully.  The  small  politicians  who  hung 
around  the  city  hall  got  in  the  habit  of  making  the  library  a 
loafing  place  and  that  so  disgusted  the  ladies  that  they  refused 
to  go  there.  Then,  in  1895,  Mrs.  Looscan,  president  of  the  Ladies 
Reading  Club,  appealed  to  that  society  to  come  to  the  assistance 
of  the  Lyceum.  Every  member  of  the  club  became  a  patron  of 
the  Lyceum  and  the  books  were  removed  to  the  Mason  Building. 
The  ladies  kept  up  their  fight  for  municipal  recognition  and,  in 
1899,  they  invited  the  city  officials  to  visit  their  hall  where  they 
made  speeches  and  showed  them  the  empty  shelves.  Soon  after,the 


294  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

city  gave  official  recognition  by  donating  $200  each  month  for 
its  support.  That  same  year  Mr.  Carnegie  gave  $50,000  for  a 
building  fund,  providing  the  city  would  donate  a  building  site, 
and  make  an  appropriation  of  $4,000  annually  for  the  support 
of  the  institution.  A  subscription  of  $7,800  was  obtained  and 
the  lot,  corner  of  McKinney  Avenue  and  Travis  Street  was  pur- 
chased. A  contract  for  the  building  was  let,  but  the  building 
could  not  be  finished  until  the  city  had  given  $10,000  more  for 
unforeseen  expenses  and  equipments. 

The  building  was  formally  thrown  open  to  the  public  in 
March,  1904.  In  1900,  the  Houston  Lyceum  and  Carnegie 
Library  Association  was  formed  and  chartered  to  take  over  the 
effects  of  the  old  Houston  Lyceum.  Mr.  N.  S.  Meldrum  also 
endowed  the  children's  department  with  $6,000  as  a  memorial 
to  Norma  Meldrum. 

The  Houston  Lyceum  had,  in  1904,  when  the  transfer  was 
made,  about  4,000  volumes  which  had  all  been  catalogued  before 
the  new  quarters  were  ready.  Before  the  actual  transfer  was 
made  the  lyceum  library  was  practically  doubled  by  the  gift  from 
a  donor,  who  desired  his  name  to  be  unknown,  of  4,000  volumes. 
N.  S.  Meldrum  also  gave  $1,000  for  the  purchase  of  special  books. 
This  caused  a  vast  amount  of  work  before  the  library  could  be 
put  in  perfect  condition  for  the  use  of  the  public.  There  were 
over  five  thousand  volumes  to  be  catalogued.  The  system  of 
cataloging  demanded  a  complete  description  of  each  book,  and 
for  each  volume  a  card  index  and  stock  card  were  necessary. 
Among  the  4,000  volumes  of  the  unknown  donor  were  books  in 
Latin  and  Greek  and  books  that  dealt  with  complicated  problems 
and  technical  matters.  To  examine,  describe  and  record  them 
required  much  time.  This  work  was  done  by  Miss  Caroline  Wan- 
dell,  Miss  Julia  Ideson  and  Miss  Ethel  Jones. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  the  library  needed  more  books. 
The  demand  exceeded  the  supply. 

' '  The  number  of  books  withdrawn  from  the  library  for  home 
use,"  said  Miss  Julia  Ideson,  librarian,  in  her  report  for  1904, 
"was  59,751.  This  seems  fairly  good  for  the  first  year,  yet  the 


Societies  and  Clubs — Continued  295 

circulation  might  have  been  considerably  greater  had  we  had  a 
supply  of  books  anywhere  nearly  equal  to  the  demand. ' ' 

"Estimating  the  population  of  Houston  at  75,000,"  said 
Mrs.  Henry  H.  Dickson,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  Houston  Lyceum  and  Carnegie  Library  Association,  in  a 
report  to  the  mayor  and  city  council  made  at  the  same  time,  ' '  we 
are  receiving  S1/^  cents  per  capita  for  library  purposes.  Both 
Fort  "Worth  and  El  Paso  do  much  better  than  that,  while  San 
Antonio  gave,  last  year,  over  $6,000  and  received,  in  addition, 
gifts  from  her  citizens  aggregating  over  $15,000." 

In  the  seven  years  of  the  library's  active  existence  the 
increase  in  the  number  of  books  has  been  steady  and  healthy.  In 
the  beginning  there  were  about  eight  or  nine  thousand  volumes, 
while  in  1911,  there  are,  approximately,  thirty-two  thousand. 
In  1904,  as  already  stated,  59,751  books  were  circulated  for 
home  use.  According  to  the  report  of  Miss  Ideson,  the  librarian, 
for  the  year  ending  Feb.  28,  1911,  there  were  90,877  volumes 
circulated,  which,  she  states,  was  an  increase  over  the  preceding 
year.  From  the  same  report  the  following  extracts  are  made : 

' '  The  library  has  shown  a  substantial  growth  this  year.  There 
were  added,  during  the  year,  by  purchase,  2,542  volumes;  by 
purchase,  Meldrum  fund,  247 ;  by  gift,  355,  making  total  acces- 
sions, 3,144  volumes." 

"To  show  the  class  of  people  by  whom  the  library  is  prin- 
cipally used,  statistics  of  occupations  were  kept.  Of  those  reg- 
istering their  occupations,  there  were :  manufacturers,  9 ;  mer- 
chants and  business  men,  48;  bankers  and  brokers,  4;  real  estate 
and  insurance  men,  32 ;  mechanics,  31 ;  trades,  68 ;  farmers  and 
stockmen,  5;  railroad  employees  (no  clerks),  19;  engineers,  18; 
artists  and  musicians,  15 ;  newspaper  men,  8 ;  teachers,  92 ;  phy- 
sicians, 13 ;  clergymen,  6 ;  lawyers,  9 ;  other  professions,  513 ;  ste- 
nographers and  clerks,  384 ;  salesmen,  28 ;  collectors,  11 ;  miscel- 
laneous, 40." 

' '  The  colored  branch,  for  which  an  appropriation  of  $500 
was  made,  has  had  good  use.  Over  4,000  books,  principally  chil- 
dren's books,  have  been  loaned." 

The  "colored  branch"  spoken  of  in  the  report,   was  the 


296  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

branch  for  negroes  opened  at  the  negro  high  school  in  May,  1 909. 
A  movement  was  started  by  the  promoters  of  this  branch,  to 
secure  for  it  a  permanent  building.  Mr.  Carnegie  was  asked  for 
a  gift  and  offered  $15,000  on  his  usual  terms  and  conditions, 
but  as  these  have  never  been  complied  with,  the  negro  branch 
remains  as  first  organized. 

The  officers  of  the  Houston  Lyceum  and  Carnegie  Library 
Association  are:  L.  S.  Denis,  president;  Mrs.  H.  1<\  Ring,  vice- 
president;  Mrs.  I.  S.  Meyer,  secretary;  Mrs.  E.  N.  Gray,  treas- 
urer; Mrs.  E.  Raphael,  corresponding  secretary;  Miss  Julia 
Ideson,  librarian. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the  ladies  deserve  the 
lion's  share  of  the  credit  for  establishing  the  lyceum  and  library 
on  a  firm  basis  and  the  same  is  true  of  near'y  every  literary, 
artistic  and  musical  movement  that  has  been  inaugurated  here. 

In  1885,  the  Ladies  Reading  Club  was  organized  hy  Mrs. 
M.  Looscan  and  Mrs.  C.  M.  Lombardi.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Briscoe  on  Crawford  Street  and  was 
for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  society  for  pleasure  and  mutual 
improvement.  The  movement  could  not  have  been  in  better 
hands  than  those  of  Mrs.  Looscan  and  Mrs.  Lombardi. 

There  were  eight  ladies  at  the  beginning,  namely :  Mesdanies 
Looscan,  Lombardi,  Hill,  Perl,  Stone  and  Briscoe,  and 
Misses  Allen  and  Wagley.  Mrs.  Looscan  was  chosen  temporary 
chairman  and  Miss  Wagley  was  chosen  secretary.  The  name 
adopted  by  the  ladies  was  the  Ladies  History  Class.  The  adop 
tion  of  this  name  was  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was  the  intention  t? 
take  up  the  study  of  history  at  once,  and  to  choose  the  history 
of  Egypt  as  the  first  course  of  study.  Just  at  that  time  the  fate 
of  Gordon  at  Kartum  was  exciting  world-wide  interest.  It 
was  six  weeks  before  a  constitution  and  by-laws  were  ready  for 
adoption,  but  during  the  delay  the  club  was  not  idle  but  had 
taken  up  a  systematic  study  of  that  mysterious  country  and 
prosecuted  it  zealously  and  intelligently.  During  the  six  weeks 
the  membership  had  increased  so  that  it  was  decided  to  organize 
thoroughly  and  formally,  which  was  done.  The  constitution  and 
by-laws  were  adopted  and  the  following  named  officers  were 


Societies  and  Clubs — Continued  297 

elected:  President,  Mrs.  M.  Looscan;  first  vice-president;  Mrs. 
C.  M.  Lombardi;  second  vice-president,  Mrs.  E.  P.  Hill;  secre- 
tary, Miss  A.  E.  Wagley;  treasurer,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Briscoe. 

At  that  meeting  the  name  of  the  club  was  changed  to  the 
Ladies  Reading  Club  and  plans  for  future  work  were  outlined. 

For  the  first  ten  years  the  club  met  in  the  parlors  of  Mrs. 
M.  G.  Howe ;  afterwards  in  rented  rooms,  then  at  the  parish 
house  of  the  Christ  Church,  then  in  the  Lyceum  library  room 
after  that  institution  had  been  moved  to  the  Mason  Building. 
Since  the  opening  of  the  Houston  Lyceum  and  Carnegie  Library, 
meetings  have  been  and  are  being  held  on  the  upper  floor  on  the 
hall  designed  for  club  meetings. 

As  already  noted  it  was  the  Ladies  Reading  Club  that  took 
the  first  steps  towards  saving  the  Houston  Lyceum  from  oblivion 
and  which  also  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Carnegie  Library 
here.  During  the  twenty-six  years  of  the  club's  existence  it  has 
been  faithful  to  the  objects  which  it  had  in  view  at  its  organiza- 
tion, namely,  the  creation  of  interest  in  intellectual  and  social 
culture  and  the  creation  of  a  common  ground  on  which  ladies 
having  a  literary  taste  might  meet.  It  has  used  its  influence 
in  bringing  celebrated  lecturers  to  the  city,  and  in  behalf  of 
every  measure  intended  to  advance  educational  interest. 

A  few  years  ago  it  was  determined  to  broaden  the  influence 
of  the  club  by  admitting  associate  members,  not  fo  exceed  ten. 
These  associate  members  pay  more  dues  than  regular  members, 
but  are  excused  from  contributing  to  the  regular  literary  exer- 
cises. They  are  treated  as  regular  members,  except  that  they 
cannot  hold  office. 

The  membership  of  the  club  is  fifty,  exclusive  of  associate 
and  honorary  members. 

The  following  named  ladies  have  been  honored  with  the 
presidency  of  the  club  since  its  organization :  Mrs.  M.  Looscan, 
Mrs.  C.  M.  Lombardi,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Cage,  Mrs.  C.  A.  McKinney, 
Mrs.  H.  F.  Ring,  Mrs.  P.  K.  Ewing,  Mrs.  R.  M.  Hall,  Mrs. 
W.  A.  DeLaMatyr,  Mrs.  William  Christian,  Mrs.  B.  A.  Randolph. 

Those  who  have  filled  the  post  of  recording  secretary  are: 
Miss  Annie  E.  Wagley,  Mrs.  P.  H.  Goodwyn,  Miss  Fannie  G. 


298  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Vincent,  Mrs.  G.  F.  Arnold,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Slosson,  Mrs.  H.  F. 
MacGregor,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Cummings,  Mrs.  P.  K.  Ewing,  Mrs.  C. 
F.  Beutel,  Miss  Emilia  Celestine  Bujac,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Tnft,  Miss 
Laura  Yocum,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Metcalf,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Carroll  and  Mrs. 
March  Culmore. 

The  broad-minded  members  of  the  club  are  thoroughly  alive 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  city  and  state,  and  certain  days  of 
the  year  are  set  aside  for  discussion  of  Texas  topics. 

The  officials  of  the  club,  in  September,  1911.  art:  President, 
Mrs.  R.  M.  Hall ;  vice-president,  Mrs.  G.  A.  Taft ;  second  vice- 
president,  Mrs.  I.  S.  Myer;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  J.  G. 
Boyd ;  recording  secretary,  Mrs.  B.  A.  Randolph ;  and  treasurer, 
Mrs.  D.  C.  Glenn. 

The  Ladies  Shakespeare  Club  was  organized  November  29, 
1890,  with  Mesdames  E.  Raphael,  I.  G.  Gersom,  I.  Blandin, 
Blanche  Booker,  and  Misses  C.  R.  Redwood,  Lydia  Adkisson  and 
Mary  Light  as  charter  members.  The  club  was  formed  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  literary  study  and  during  the  many  years  of  its 
existence  nothing  has  ever  been  permitted  to  divert  it  from  the 
course  marked  out  by  its  members  at  its  initial  meeting. 

The  creed  of  the  club  has  but  two  articles:  First,  that 
Shakespeare's  plays  were  written  by  Shakespeare  and  not  by 
Bacon;  second,  that  Shakespeare  is  the  crown  and  chief  glory 
of  English  literature. 

Until  the  completion  of  the  Carnegie  Library,  the  club  had 
no  permanent  home,  but  met  at  private  houses,  public  halls  and 
other  convenient  places.  This  lack  of  permanent  headquarters 
was  not  allowed  to  interfere  in  the  least  with  the  club  work  and 
the  course  of  study  for  each  year  has  been  conscientiously  car- 
ried out.  It  has  been  serious  work,  too.  The  club  placed  itself 
in  close  communication  with  the  Chicago  University  where  much 
valuable  study  and  research  work  connected  with  Shakespeare 
have  been  done  and,  in  addition,  on  one  or  two  occasions  has  been 
instrumental  in  having  Professor  Clark,  of  that  University,  come 
to  Houston  for  the  purpose  of  delivering  his  famous  lectures  on 
Shakespeare. 

Of  course  Shakespeare  has  been  the  great  trunk  of  the  tree, 


Societies  and  Clubs — Continued  299 

but  it  has  had  many  branches  which  have  invited  the  members 
to  deviate  occasionally  and  follow  them  up.  For  instance  the 
study  of  Henry  VI  and  kindred  plays  led  to  historical  research 
while  certain  of  the  romantic  plays  opened  the  way  towards 
dramatic  construction.  The  members  have  never  hesitated  to 
follow  any  line  that  offered  to  throw  light  on  the  hidden  mys- 
teries and  profound  learning  of  the  great  bard.  Its  labors  have 
been  great,  but  they  have  been  pleasant  at  all  times  for  they  were 
labors  of  love. 

The  Study  Shakespeare  Class  is  simply  a  number  of  ladies 
who  have  banded  themselves  together  without  official  organiza- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  plays  of  Shakespeare.  Mrs. 
Alma  McDonnell  is  the  moving  spirit  and  it  was  through  her 
efforts  that  the  ladies  were  brought  together.  She  has  the  well- 
deserved  reputation  of  being  a  thorough  Shakesperean  scholar, 
and  has  the  ability  to  impart  her  knowledge  and  enthusiasm  to 
others,  so  the  success  of  the  Study  Shakespeare  Class  has  been 
very  great. 

Another  Shakespeare  Club  was  organized  October  1,  1904, 
at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  A.  G.  Howell.  There  were  fourteen 
ladies  present  and  an  organization  was  perfected  at  that  first  meet- 
ing by  the  election  of  Mrs.  J.  W.  Lockett,  president ;  Mrs.  vT.  W. 
Carter,  vice-president,  and  Mrs.  Harry  Tyner,  recording  secre- 
tary. Since  most  of  the  members  were  residents  of  the  south 
end  of  the  city,  the  name  South  End  Shakespeare  Club  was 
chosen,  and  the  membership  was  limited  to  twenty-one.  As  soon 
as  the  club  was  organized  the  ladies  went  to  work  and  began  the 
study  of  the  tragedy,  Othello.  The  history  of  the  play  was  given 
by  Mrs.  Howell  and  why  Shakespeare  wrote  it  was  explained  by 
Mrs.  Carter.  Since  that  initial  meeting,  the  club  has  been  very 
active  and  its  members  have  studied  and  discussed  many  of  the 
plays  and  writings  of  Shakespeare. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  clubs  of  the  city  is  the  Current 
Literature  Club,  which  was  organized  in  1899,  by  Mrs.  Si  Pack- 
ard. Her  idea  was  to  get  a  number  of  congenial  women  together 
for  the  purpose  of  reading  and  keeping  up  with  the  books  of  the 
day..  In  response  to  her  call  about  twenty  ladies  met  at  her 


300  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

house  and  the  club  was  organized.  Mrs.  Packard  was  elected 
president  and  held  the  office  for  four  years.  The  character  of 
work  done  by  the  club  and  its  methods  of  work  have  been  thus 
described  by  Mrs.  J.  T.  Lockman. 

"At  first,  only  the  novels  of  the  day  were  read  and  discussed. 
Meetings  were  held  at  the  different  homes  and  books  were  carried 
from  place  to  place  by  the  librarian.  It  was  lots  of  work  but  it 
was  lots  of  fun.  After  the  study  hour  was  over,  the  hostess  of 
each  meeting  always  had  a  social  feature  prepared  for  us,  some- 
thing so  bright  and  cheery  that  the  memory  of  our  'good  old 
times'  lingers  lovingly  with  all  charter  members.  No  one  ever 
dreamed  they  could  stay  away  from  a  meeting.  But  the  current 
novels  got  to  be  so  trashy  that  the  ladies  became  disgusted  and 
threw  them  aside.  The  library  was  completed  and  the  club  moved 
into  permanent  quarters  and  all  fun  ceased.  The  club  took  up 
the  study  of  more  serious  matter  and  engaged  in  studying  works 
on  travel,  history,  art,  literature  and  preserves  its  original  inten- 
tion, in  part  only,  by  reading  and  discussing  the  current  maga- 
zines and  periodicals.  The  club  has  forty  active  members  and 
twenty-five  associate  and  honorary  members." 

The  officers  of  the  club  are :  President,  Mrs.  J.  T.  Lockman ; 
secretary,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Adey;  treasurer,  Mrs.  E.  Scheultz. 

The  first  year  of  the  Houston  Pen  "Women's  Association  was 
completed  March  23,  1907.  At  the  first  annual  meeting  reports 
were  made  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Strong  Tracy,  the  president,  and 
by  Mrs.  Florence  N.  Dancy,  the  secretary.  From  those  two 
reports  the  following  facts  are  taken.  The  question  of  organi- 
zation had  long  been  discussed  by  the  women  of  Houston  who 
were  engaged  in  writing  for  the  newspapers.  Nowhere  else  in 
the  state  were  there  so  many  members  of  the  Texas  Woman's 
Press  Association.  Eighteen  women  responded  to  a  call  to 
women  of  the  press  and  to  women  engaged  in  literary  work,  and 
attended  a  preliminary  meeting  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  William 
Christian.  Mrs.  Christian  was  made  the  temporary  chairman 
and  Mrs.  Dancy,  secretary.  Mrs.  Tracy,  Miss  Katie  Daffan  and 
Mrs.  Dancy  were  appointed  a  committee  on  constitution  and  by- 
laws. A  few  days  later  a  permanent  organization  was  effected. 


Societies  and  Clubs — Continued  301 

Mrs.  Tracy  was  elected  president;  Mrs.  Abbie  N.  Smith,  vice- 
president;  and  Mrs.  Dancy,  secretary.  The  membership  con- 
sists of  historians,  poets,  writers  of  prose,  nuthors,  journalists 
and  newspaper  writers.  The  success  of  the  cM.>  has  been  marked. 
Its  officers  are :  President,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Limbocker ;  vice-president, 
Mrs.  M.  B.  Crowe ;  second  vice-president,  Miss  Abbie  N.  Smith ; 
recording  secretary,  Mrs.  R.  R.  Dancy;  corresponding  secretary, 
Mrs.  Grace  Zimmer;  treasurer,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Tracy. 

The  Houston  Branch  of  the  "Dickens  Fellowship"  was 
organized  in  1909,  at  the  home  of  its  president,  Mrs.  E.  Raphael, 
with  an  enthusiastic  membership  composed  of  the  following 
ladies:  Mrs.  E.  W.  Luhn,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Dyer,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Parks, 
Mrs.  T.  C.  Dunn,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Ralston,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Robbins,  Mrs. 
J.  B.  Slack,  Mrs.  W.  Southward,  Mrs.  Jules  Hirsch,  Mrs.  E. 
Adey,  Mrs.  Jas.  Breeding,  Mrs.  E.  Raphael.  These  received  the 
first  certificates  of  membership  from  the  London  Branch  of  the 
Dickens  Fellowship. 

This  branch  is  the  only  off-shoot  of  the  London  Fellowship 
in  the  South,  and  the  ninth  branch  of  the  United  States.  The 
object  of  this  organization  is  to  foster  the  love  of  Dickens'  writ- 
ings, to  emulate  his  genial  kindliness,  humanitarian  impulses 
and  living  interest  in  all  things  great  and  small;  and  to  pass 
along  the  philosophy  of  life  so  vividly  portrayed  by  the  beloved 
author. 

The  Fellowship  is  still  in  its  infancy,  but  as  it  grows  it  hopes 
to  become  great  in  numbers  and  greater  in  capacity  for  betterment 
of  the  mind  and  spirit  of  its  members  and  those  allied  to  it  by 
the  brotherhood  of  man.  The  present  officers  are:  Mrs.  E. 
Raphael,  president ;  Mrs.  A.  S.  Dyer,  vice-president ;  Mrs.  W.  W. 
Ralston,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  membership  numbers  about 
twenty  active  workers. 

The  club  members  subscribe  to  the  official  magazine,  "The 
Dickensian"  published  in  London,  and  so  keep  in  touch  with 
the  spirit  of  Dickens'  lovers  elsewhere.  This  branch  hopes  to 
celebrate  in  a  fitting  manner  the  hundredth  anniversary  of 
Dickens'  birthday. 

A  chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  was 


302  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

organized  in  Houston,  during  November,  1899,  by  Mrs.  Seabrook 
W.  Sydnor,  who  had  been  appointed  regent  at  Houston  for  the 
general  organization.  The  chapter  took  the  name  of  Lady  Wash- 
ington Chapter  and  was  organized  in  the  parlors  of  the  Rice 
Hotel.  The  following  named  ladies  were  charter  members :  Mrs. 
S.  W.  Sydnor,  Mrs.  W.  C.  Crane,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Hutcherson,  Mrs. 
W.  L.  Lane,  Mrs.  Thos.  Franklin,  Mrs.  James  Journeay,  Mrs. 
Henry  Lummis,  Mrs.  Paul  Timpson,  Mrs.  M.  H.  Foster,  Mrs. 
H.  F.  Ring,  Mrs.  Botts  Fitzgerald,  Mrs.  D.  F.  Stuart,  Mrs.  W. 
R.  Robertson,  Mrs.  C.  L.  Fitch,  Mrs.  Susan  R.  Tempest,  Mrs.  H. 
T.  Warner,  and  Mrs.  R.  F.  Dunbar. 

The  Chapter  has  been  in  active  existence  since  its  organiza- 
tion and  its  affairs  are  in  excellent  condition.  Social  functions, 
in  commemoration  of  national  holidays,  bazaars  and  other  enter- 
tainments, for  the  purpose  of  raising  money  for  special  pur- 
poses, historical  research  and  kindred  matters  have  occupied  the 
attention  and  interest  of  the  members. 

The  Chapter  has  erected  a  monument  to  Alexander  Hodge 
in  the  Sam  Houston  Park.  Hodge  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier 
and  served  with  Marion.  He  came  to  Texas  and  served  with  the 
Texas  army,  thus  becoming  a  veteran  of  two  revolutions,  each 
among  the  most  successful  and  far-reaching  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  He  died  and  was  buried  in  Texas.  Among  his  descend- 
ants is  Mrs.  Seybrook  Sydnor,  who  has  been  State  Regent  and 
most  active  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  Daughters'  organi- 
zation in  Texas. 

San  Jacinto  Chapter  No.  2,  Daughters  of  the  Republic  of 
Texas,  was  organized  in  1901.  The  chapter  has  accomplished  a 
great  deal  in  the  way  of  perpetrating  the  memories  of  the  Texas 
heroes  who  established  the  independence  of  Texas,  and  has  col- 
lected many  valuable  historical  data.  It  has  taken  under  its 
care.  San  Jacinto  battlefield  and  has  marked,  with  suitable  monu- 
ments and  tablets,  historical  points  and  localities  associated  with 
early  Texas  history. 

The  chapter  has  at  present  fifty  active  members.  Its  officers 
are:  Mrs.  J.  J-  McKeer,  president;  Mrs.  E.  T.  Durable,  first 
vice-president;  Mrs.  G.  A.  Fosgard,  second  vice-president;  Mrs. 


Societies  and  Clubs — Continued  303 

Geo.  Hamman,  third  vice-president ;  Mrs.  M.  B.  Urwitz,  secretary ; 
Mrs.  C.  H.  Milby,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Rosine  Ryan,  historian. 

Robert  E.  Lee  Chapter,  186,  United  Daughters  of  the  Con- 
federacy, was  organized  in  1897.  The  first  officers  were :  Mrs.  J. 
C.  Hutcherson,  president ;  Mrs.  M.  G.  Howe,  vice-president ;  Mrs. 
T.  R.  Franklin,  vice-president;  Mrs.  M.  H.  Foster,  secretary. 
There  were  fifty  charter  members. 

This  chapter  is  one  of  the  largest  and  hardest  working  chap- 
ters in  the  state  and  has  accomplished  a  great  deal  since  its  organ- 
ization. Its  growth  has  been  rapid  from  the  first  year  of  its 
organization.  Its  members  have  contributed  generously  towards 
all  monument  funds,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  which  is  that 
known  as  the  Spirit  of  the  Confederacy,  located  in  the  city  park, 
and  have  done  much  to  preserve  the  memory  of  the  Confederate 
soldiers  who  have  passed  over  the  river  and  to  care  for  and  com- 
fort those  who  are  still  on  this  side. 

The  present  officers  of  the  chapter,  October,  1911,  are :  Mrs, 
M.  E.  Bryan,  president;  Mrs.  J.  F.  Burton,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Bates, 
Mrs.  Carter  Walker,  Mrs.  G.  L.  Black,  vice-presidents;  Mrs.  W. 

A.  Rowan,  recording  secretary;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Bailey,  correspond- 
ing secretary ;  Mrs.  P.  H.  Fall,  treasurer ;  Mrs.  A.  G.  Henry,  reg- 
istrar; Mrs.  J.  W.  Dittmar,  curator. 

Oran  M.  Roberts,  Chapter  No.  440,  United  Daughters  of  the 
Confederacy  was  organized  in  1901,  with  sixty  charter  members. 
Its  first  officers  were:  Miss  A.  A.  Dunovant,  president;  Mrs.  S. 
F.  Carter,  first  vice-president;  Mrs.  T.  W.  House,  second  vice- 
president;  Mrs.  Wharton  Bates,  third  vice-president;  Mrs.  W. 

B.  King,  fourth  vice-president;  Miss  Jennie  Criswell,  recording 
secretary;  Mrs.  Jonathan  Lane,  corresponding  secretary;  Mrs. 
B.  M.  Stephens,  treasurer. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  Chapter's  life  its  membership 
increased  to  314.  The  chapter  has  made  donations  towards  mon- 
uments but  its  main  efforts  have  been  in  behalf  of  indigent  and 
needy  Confederate  soldiers. 

The  officers  of  this  chapter,  October,  1911,  are:  President, 
Mrs.  Will  Hansen ;  first  vice-president,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Gibson ;  second 
vice-president,  Mrs.  Hattie  S.  Hatch;  third  vice-president,  Mrs. 


304  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Uvalde  Burns;  fourth  vice-president,  Mrs.  Sidney  Huston; 
recording  secretary,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Reichardt;  corresponding  secre- 
tary, Mrs.  B.  B.  Knolle ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  W.  Worsham ;  historian, 
Mrs.  S.  T.  Steele;  librarian,  Miss  Williams;  registrar,  Mrs.  J. 
Hyndman ;  custodian,  Mrs.  Kauf hold. 

In  all  matters  relating  to  culture,  patriotism,  and  civic  and 
municipal  improvement,  the  women  of  Houston  have  played  a 
leading  role  and  the  story  of  their  efforts  and  the  list  of  their 
accomplishments  has  not  been  and  is  not  now  told.  A  book  of 
this  scope  can  only  indicate  the  organizations  or  the  principal 
ones  of  them  and  the  directions  in  which  their  activities  tend. 

There  has  been  no  great  religious,  literary,  patriotic,  char- 
itable or  civic  movement  in  which  the  noble  women  of  Houston 
have  not  led  and  in  many  of  these  movements  they  have  borne 
almost  the  entire  burden  and  are  entitled  to  the  largest  measure 
of  praise  for  the  successes,  many  times  brilliant  ones,  that  have 
been  achieved  along  the  chosen  lines  of  effort. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Organized  Labor 


Organized  Labor  is  Prosperous  in  Houston.  Houston  Labor 
Council's  Full  Report  Showing  Numbers  and  Conditions 
in  all  the  Organized  Crafts.  Good  Wages  are  Paid  and 
Sweating  System  is  not  in  Vogue. 


The  labor  associations  of  Houston  are  very  numerous  and 
very  well  organized.  Each  branch  of  labor  has  its  own  organiza- 
tion, and  the  entire  membership  of  all  of  them  foots  up  in  the 
thousands.  The  Stowers  Building,  corner  of  Congress  Avenue  and 
Caroline  Street,  was  formally  dedicated  to  the  use  and  occupancy 
of  the  various  labor  organizations  of  Houston  on  Jan.  14,  1905. 
This  huge  building  was  transformed  into  a  home  for  the  Houston 
Labor  Council  with  imposing  ceremonies.  Among  the  prom- 
inent labor  organizations  taking  part  were  the  following: 

Amalgamated  Sheet  Metal  Workers'  Local  No.  54;  Bakers' 
and  Confectioners'  Union  No.  28;  Bed  Spring  and  Mattress 
Makers'  Union  No.  844;  Blacksmiths'  Union  No.  32;  Boiler 
Makers'  Union  No.  74;  Bookbinders'  Union,  Local  No.  110; 
Brewery  "Workers'  Union,  Local  No.  Ill;  Bricklayers'  and 
Masons'  International  Union  No.  7;  Carpenters'  and  Joiners' 
Union  No.  — ;  Carriage  and  Wagon  workers '  International  Union 
No.  109;  Houston  Typographical  Union  No.  87;  Icemen's  Pro- 
tective Union  No.  9254;  International  Alliance  Theatrical  Stage 
Employees',  No.  65;  International  Association  of  Machinist, 
No.  12;  International  Brotherhood  of  Electrical  Workers,  No. 
66 ;  Iron  Moulders '  Union  of  North  America,  No.  259 ;  Journey- 
men Barbers'  Union  No.  74;  Journeyman  Tailors'  Union  No.  247; 
Musicians'  Protective  Union  No.  65;  Painters'  and  Decorators' 
Union  No.  130;  Patternmakers'  League  of  America;  Plasterers' 


306  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

International  Protective  Union  No.  140;  Plumbers'  and  Gas- 
fitters'  Union  No.  68 ;  Bridge  and  Structual  Iron  Workers ;  Build- 
ing Laborers  International  Protective  Union;  Carriage,  Cab  and 
Delivery  "Wagon  Drivers'  Union;  Cooks  and  Waiters'  Union; 
Theatrical  Mechanical  Association;  Tile  Pipe  Layers'  Protective 
Union ;  Woman 's  Union  Label  League ;  Printing  Pressmen 's 
Union  No.  71;  Retail  Clerks'  Protective  Association  No.  165; 
Shirt  Waist  and  Laundry  Workers  International  Union,  Local, 
No.  38;  Soda  Water  Workers'  Union  No.  11,  300;  Team  Drivers 
No.  489 ;  Texas  Association  of  Steam  Engineers,  Houston,  No.  1 ; 
Stenographers'  and  Typewriters'  Association;  Railroad  Employ- 
ees' Association.  Since  then  the  unions  have  maintained  a  com- 
mon headquarters  and  parade  in  strength  each  labor  day: 

The  following  figures,  furnished  by  Mr.  Max  Andrews,  clerk 
of  the  Harris  County  Criminal  Court  and  editor  of  the  Labor 
Journal,  were  especially  prepared  by  a  committee  from  the 
Houston  Labor  council.  They  represent  the  situation  as  it 
existed  in  July,  1911. 

The  total  number  of  industrial  workers  in  Houston  is  25,000, 
graded  as  follows:  Men,  15,000;  women,  6,000;  children,  15 
years  and  under,  4,000. 

Organized:     Men,  55  per  cent;  women,  2  per  cent. 

Of  the  skilled  trades,  85  per  cent  are  organized  and  15  per 
cent  unorganized. 

During  the  last  ten  years  the  hours  of  labor  have  been 
decreased  all  along  the  line  from  ten  to  eight. 

During  the  past  ten  years  there  has  been  an  average  increase 
in  wages  among  the  crafts  of  25  per  cent. 

However,  during  this  same  period  the  increased  cost  of  liv- 
ing, ascertained  through  government  authorities,  has  increased 
40  per  cent.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  increased  cost  of  living 
far  exceeds  the  increase  in  pay  secured. 

The  total  number  of  organized  men  and  women  in  Houston 
is  8,250. 

The  best  organized  crafts  are  the  plumbers,  printers,  brick- 
masons,  plasterers,  stone  cutters  and  marble  cutters,  about  100 
per  cent  strong. 


Organized  Labor  307 

All  trades  limit  the  number  of  apprentices.  This  has  not 
worked  a  hardship  on  the  boys  and  has  had  much  to  do  with 
maintaining  a  living  wage  for  the  journeymen. 

The  sentiment  and  general  feeling  toward  union  labor  in 
this  city  and  community  is  good.  All  important  work  is  per- 
formed by  union  men. 

The  central  labor  body  (the  Houston  labor  council)  consists 
of  delegates  from  all  locals  in  this  jurisdiction  that  are  affiliated 
with  the  American  Federation  of  Labor.  Thirty-three  are  affili- 
ated at  this  time.  The  meetings  are  not  open  to  the  general 
public. 

The  labor  council  meets  over  the  Hammersmith  shoe  estab- 
lishment, 305%  Main  Street. 

Unions  care  for  their  sick  and  dependent  and  bury  their 
dead.  This  is  due  them  through  membership. 

The  federated  shop  men  have  a  committee  on  conciliation 
an.d  arbitration,  which  has  been  recognized  by  the  Harriman  sys- 
tem. The  central  council  has  an  arbitration  committee. 

There  is  no  open  conflict  between  the  unions  of  Houston  and 
the  Manufacturers  Association,  Citizens  Alliance  or  Employes 
Association  locally. 

The  Ministerial  Association  has  no  fraternal  delegate  in  the 
labor  council  at  present. 

Some  of  the  working  conditions  are  thus  indicated :  Packing 
House:  Number  employed  (men,  women  and  children),  500. 
"Wages,  for  men,  $1.50  to  $2.00  per  day ;  for  women,  75  cents  to 
$2.00  per  day;  for  children,  50  cents  to  $1.00  per  day.  Labor 
is  seasonal.  Approximately  12y2  per  cent  unemployed.  Married 
men  get  living  wages.  Work  ten  hours  per  day.  No  Sunday 
work.  Wages  do  not  cause  dependency.  Little  opportunity  for 
training  or  educational  advancement.  Conditions  sanitary  and 
healthful.  Employes  subject  to  danger  from  machinery  and 
occupational  diseases.  No  sweating  system  exists.  Employes  are 
not  organized. 

In  the  railroad  shops  and  yards,  there  are,  approximately, 
4,000  employed.  Working  conditions,  fair.  Labor  seasonal. 
Married  men  receive  living  wages ;  however,  not  commensurate 


308  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

with  the  advances  in  necessities  of  life.  Hours  of  labor,  nine 
hours  per  day.  About  25  per  cent  of  laborers  work  Sundays. 
Conditions  are  very  good  for  training  and  educational  advance- 
ment. Sanitation  and  health,  good.  No  sweating  system  exists. 
Subject  to  danger  from  machinery.  Ninety  per  cent  of  workers 
organized.  Average  wage  for  all  employees  about  $2.50  per 
day. 

In  the  cotton  oil  mills  and  cotton  compresses,  the  number 
employed  will  approximate  1,500.  Working  conditions,  fair. 
Wages,  for  men,  $1.50  to  $2.50  per  day;  for  women,  $1.00  to 
$1.25  per  day ;  for  children,  50  cents  to  75  cents  per  day.  Labor 
is  casual,  a  majority  of  the  workers  being  steadily  employed  dur- 
ing the  months  of  September,  October,  November,  December, 
January  and  February,  but  during  the  remainder  of  the  year 
must  seek  other  means  of  support.  Married  men  receive  living 
wages.  Hours  of  labor  from  10  to  12.  Employes  work  every 
Sunday  during  operating  season.  Wages  and  general  conditions 
are  scarcely  removed  from  dependency.  No  opportunity  for 
training  or  educational  advancement;  however,  conditions  are 
far  in  advance  of  many  cities  in  the  Southern  States.  Sanitary 
conditions,  fairly  good.  Workers  subject  to  danger  from  machin- 
ery and  occupational  diseases. 

In  the  saw  mills  and  factories,  the  number  of  employes  is 
500.  Working  conditions,  reasonably  fair.  Wages  for  skilled 
men,  $2.50  to  $3.00  per  day ;  unskilled  men,  75  cents  to  $1.75  per 
day;  women,  50  cents  to  $1.00  per  day;  children,  25  cents  to  75 
cents  per  day.  Labor  is  steady;  about  10  per  cent  are  unem- 
ployed. Majority  of  men  make  scant  living.  Hours  of  labor, 
10  per  day.  Do  not  work  Sundays.  Wages  paid  barely  keep 
employes  above  dependency.  Little  opportunity  is  afforded  for 
training  or  educational  advancement.  Conditions  generally  are 
sanitary  and  healthful.  Workers  subject  to  danger  from  machin- 
ery and  occupational  diseases.  No  sweating  system  exists.  About 
10  per  cent  are  organized. 

In  the  general  stores  there  are  approximately  3,000  employed. 
Working  conditions  are  not  good.  Wages  for  men,  $5  to  $18 
per  week;  women,  $3.50  to  $10;  children,  $1.50  to  $5.  Labor 


Organized  Labor  309 

seasonal.  About  12i/£  per  cent  unemployed.  Married  men  do 
not  receive  wage  consistent  with  average  living  conditions.  Hours 
of  labor  from  10  to  15  per  day.  Do  not  work  Sundays.  Most 
employes  do  not  receive  wage  sufficient  to  relieve  them  of  depend- 
ency; especially  is  this  true  of  the  women,  girls  and  children. 
Not  one  out  of  1,000  has  opportunity  of  advancement  along 
training  and  educational  lines.  Unless  the  general  public  inter- 
cedes conditions  in  Houston  will  soon  parallel  the  larger  cities 
of  the  country  and  young  womanhood  will  be  sacrificed  at  the 
altar  of  greed  and  avarice.  Conditions  are  now  deplorable.  In 
most  instances  stores  and  shops  are  arranged  in  sanitary  condi- 
tion. Labor  is  unorganized. 

At  the  Breweries  there  are  approximately  500  employed. 
Working  conditions  are  exceptionally  good.  General  scale  of 
wages  from  $2  to  $5  per  day.  Labor  seasonal.  About  3  per  cent 
unemployed.  Married  men  receive  a  living  wage.  Hours  of 
labor,  eight  per  day.  Operate  24  hours  per  day,  with  three 
shifts  of  eight  hours.  Most  of  the  employes  work  Sundays.  Em- 
ployes are  independent  and  most  of  them  are  home  owners. 
Conditions  sanitary  and  healthful.  Employes  are  subject  to  dan- 
ger from  machinery  and  occupational  diseases.  All  are  organ- 
ized. All  workmen  in  breweries,  where  steadily  employed,  must 
join  the  Brewery  Workers'  Union;  most  compact  and  thoroughly 
organized  of  any  craft.  It  pays  large  sick  and  death  benefits. 

As  to  common  labor,  there  are  approximately  5,000  laborers 
employed.  Wages,  for  men,  $1.25  to  $2  per  day;  women,  50 
cents  to  $1.25  per  day;  children,  25  cents  to  $1  per  day.  Labor 
is  casual.  About  25  per  cent  are  unemployed.  About  10  per 
cent  of  the  workers  are  organized.  Married  men  do  not  receive 
a  living  wage.  Hours  of  labor  from  eight  to  ten  per  day.  Only 
those  employed  for  elevator  service,  street  cars  and  emergency 
men  are  required  to  work  Sundays.  Wages  and  general  condi- 
tions increase  dependency.  No  opportunity  for  training  or  edu- 
cational advancement.  Conditions  generally  are  sanitary.  No 
sweating  system  in  vogue. 

The  industrial  crafts  include  carpenters,  plumbers,  painters, 
plasterers,  sheetmetal  workers,  brickmasons,  machinists,  black- 


310  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

smiths,  lathers,  typographers,  printing  pressmen,  bookbinders, 
musicians,  electrical  workers,  bartenders,  tailors,  coopers,  bridge 
and  structural  iron  workers,  boilermakers,  marble  workers,  jour- 
neymen barbers,  elevator  constructors,  pattern  makers,  iron 
molders,  garment  workers,  horseshoers,  stationary  engineers. 

Of  the  above  crafts  there  are  about  3,000  employed.  This 
is  independent  of  those  working  in  the  railroad  shops,  mills,  com- 
presses, etc.,  elsewhere  compiled  and  accounted  for. 

Carpenters  and  Joiners — Approximately  75  per  cent  organ- 
ized; wages,  union,  $4  per  day;  non-union,  $3.50  per  day.  Con- 
ditions good;  all  large  contracts  and  buildings  employ  union 
labor;  union  provides  sick  and  death  benefits  for  its  members. 
Death  benefit  grades  upward,  according  to  length  of  membership  ; 
carpenters  meet  in  their  own  home  and  are  in  a  most  prosper- 
ous condition ;  work  seasonal ;  union  men  are  independent  and 
families  enjoy  training  and  educational  advantages.  No  Sunday 
work. 

Plasterers — Conditions  are  good ;  90  per  cent  are .  organized. 
Wages,  union  men  receive  $6  per  day;  non-union  men,  $3  per 
day.  Do  not  work  on  Sunday. 

Sheetmetal  Workers — Very  good  condition ;  work  seasonal, 
but  rather  steady.  Wages,  union  men,  $3.50  to  $4.50  per  day ; 
non-union  labor,  lower.  About  90  per  cent  of  craft  organized. 

Brickmasons — Splendid  condition ;  about  95  per  cent  organ- 
ized. Wages,  union  men  receive  $6  to  $7  per  day;  non-union 
men,  $3  to  $4.  Many  home-owners  among  them. 

Machinists — Work  steady  throughout  the  year  and  pretty 
well  employed.  Wages,  union  men,  $3.80  per  day;  non-union 
men,  $2.50  per  day. 

Theatrical  Stage  Employes — Number  about  100;  conditions 
in  large  playhouses  good  and  all  employed  therein  are  organized ; 
wages  range  from  $15  to  $25  per  week;  all  theatres  give  Sunday 
performances.  Picture  shows  and  vaudeville  houses  are  unsafe, 
unsanitary  and  unorganized ;  much  work  is  needed  among  them ; 
in  most  instances  incompetent  and  child  labor  is  employed  and 
the  general  public  is  subjected  to  danger  through  them. 

Blacksmiths — Reasonably     fair     conditions;    about    65    per 


Organized  Labor  311 

cent  organized  and  union  growing.    "Wages,  union  men  $3.80  per 
day;  non-union  men,  $2.50  per  day. 

Lathers — Steadily  employed  at  present;  work  would  not 
be  classed  as  casual  here,  but  is  rather  steady  throughout  the 
year.  Wages,  union  men  receive  from  $4  to  $6  per  day;  non- 
union men,  $2.50  per  day. 

Following  are  the  statistics  for  the  printing  trade : 

Printers — About  225  in  membership ;  organized  100  per  cent 
strong.  Wages,  from  $3.50  to  $8  per  day,  varying  according  to 
men  and  position.  Job  offices  and  ad  rooms  work  time  scale, 
eight  hours  per  day.  Machine  men  work  on  a  piece  scale,  and 
average  from  six  to  seven  hours  per  day.  About  75  per  cent  of 
the  printers  are  home  owners. 

Printing  Pressmen — One  hundred  per  cent  organized;  work 
eight  hours  per  day;  wages  average  $3.50  per  day;  many  home 
owners  among  them;  sanitary  conditions  in  shops  good. 

Bookbinders — One  hundred  per  cent  organized;  hours  of 
work,  eight  per  day ;  wages,  average  $4  per  day ;  sanitary  condi- 
tions exceptionally  good. 

Other  crafts  are  as  follows: 

Electrical  Workers — Eighty  per  cent  organized;  union  men 
work  8  hours;  wages  from  $3.50  to  $4.50  per  day;  all  employed. 

Bartenders — About  80  per  cent  organized;  hours  of  labor 
eight  per  day;  scale  of  wages,  $15  to  $21  per  week. 

Tailors — Poorly  organized  at  present ;  hours  of  labor  ten  per 
day;  wages,  from  $2  to  $3,  most  work  is  by  piece. 

Coopers — One  hundred  per  cent  organized ;  work  seasonal  to 
a  great  extent;  hours  of  work,  eight  per  day;  average  wages 
from  $2.85  to  $4  per  day ;  conditions  sanitary. 

Bridge  and  Structural  Iron  Workers — Organized  100  per 
cent  strong;  hours  of  labor,  eight  per  day;  wage  scale  from  $3.50 
to  $4.50  per  day,  work  exceptionally  good  here  for  the  past  two 
years  and  prospects  nattering ;  duties  are  most  hazardous. 

Boilermakers — About  90  per  cent  organized;  wages  $3.50  to 
$5  per  day  for  union  men ;  non-union  wages  lower ;  work  fair. 

Marble  Workers — Work  eight  hours  per  day;  wages  $4  to 
$6  per  day;  organized  100  per  cent  strong;  conditions  good. 


312  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Journeyman  Barbers — White  and  colored  unions  are  organ- 
ized ;  about  80  per  cent  organized ;  conditions  above  the  average ; 
no  Sunday  work. 

Elevator  Constructors — Organized  100  per  cent ;  work  good ; 
all  employed  at  present ;  no  Sunday  work ;  wages  $4  per  day. 

Pattern  Makers — Well  organized;  wages,  fifty  cents  per 
hour ;  nine  hours ;  no  labor  on  Sundays. 

Garment  Workers — Only  craft  of  women  organized;  have 
a  union  of  about  200  members ;  work  eight  hours ;  wages  from  $9 
to  $18  per  week;  no  Sunday  labor;  exceptionally  good  sanitary 
conditions  prevail. 

Horseshoers — Good  conditions;  work  eight  hours;  average 
wages  $2.50  to  $3.50  per  day;  75  per  cent  organized. 

Stationary  Engineers — Work  eight  hours;  conditions  good; 
about  80  per  cent  organized ;  average  wages  $3  to  $4  per  day. 

Painters,  Decorators  and  Paperhangers — Work  eight  hours; 
wages,  for  union  men,  $3.50  to  $4  per  day ;  no  way  to  ascertain 
wages  of  non-union  men;  best  mechanics  organized;  about  80 
per  cent  in  union ;  conditions  fairly  good  and  improving. 

Plumbers — About  200  in  number;  100  per  cent  organized; 
work  eight  hours  per  day,  half  holiday  on  Saturday;  scale  of 
wages,  for  union  men,  $6  per  day ;  sanitary  conditions  generally 
good;  union  has  many  educational  features  to  perfect  skill  of 
workmen. 


.£•-»  ttf£ ' 


315 

the  Exchange  went  seriously  to  work.  In  1877,  they  obtained 
a  charter  as  the  Cotton  Exchange  and  Board  of  Trade.  They 
framed  new  rules  and  regulations,  increased  the  initiation  fee 
and  the  annual  dues  from  members,  and  made  provision  for  a 
regular  and  permanent  revenue  with  which  to  meet  the  expenses 
of  the  Exchange.  The  institution  was  placed  on  a  firm  basis  and 
from  that  time  until  today  its  course  has  been  upward. 

A  general  meeting  of  members  of  the  exchange  was  held 
January  15,  1882,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  advisability 
of  the  Exchange  owning  its  own  building.  At  that  meeting  it 
was  decided  that  ground  should  be  purchased  and  a  building 
should  be  erected  if  financial  arrangements  could  be  made.  Com- 
mittees were  appointed  to  look  into  the  details  of  the  question. 
Other  meetings  were  held,  and  on  May  29,  1883,  the  .ground  for 
the  building  was  purchased.  The  architect 's  plans  were  accepted 
January  4,  1884,  and  on  March  1,  of  the  same  year  the  Exchange 
borrowed  $40,000  for  ten  years,  with  which  to  put  up  the  building. 
The  contract  was  let  March  15,  1884,  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid 
by  the  Masons  on  June  5,  1884.  The  building  was  completed  and 
turned  over  to  the  Exchange  on  November  15,  1884.  Since  then 
the  building  has  been  completely  remodeled  to  meet  the  growing 
needs  of  the  members.  Additional  stories  have  been  added  and 
today,  in  addition  to  being  one  of  the  handsomest  and  best 
arranged  exchanges,  the  building  is  one  of  the  most  convenient 
and  useful  office  buildings  in  the  city.  It  is  located  at  the  corner 
of  Franklin  Avenue  and  Travis  Street.  No  cotton  exchange  in 
this  or  any  other  country  gives  more  information  to  its  members 
than  does  the  Houston  Exchange.  There  are  long  distance  tele- 
phones reaching  all  over  this  and  adjoining  states,  where  a  mem- 
ber can  talk  to  a  customer  hundreds  of  miles  away  with  as  much 
ease  and  without  delay,  as  if  he  were  in  the  next  room.  There 
are  two  telegraph  companies  that  have  special  wires  on  the 
floor  of  the  exchange,  while  the  Exchange  itself  is  in  direct  and, 
what  may  be  termed  instantaneous,  communication  with  all  the 
great  exchanges  in  this  country  and  across  the  water  as  well. 
To  illustrate  the  rapidity  with  which  business  is  transacted 
through  the  exchange,  it  is  said  that  an  order  can  be  sent  to 


316  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Liverpool,  executed  and  an  answer  received  back  here  in  Houston 
in  three  or  four  minutes.  This  is  not  an  extraordinary  occurrence. 

The  Houston  Cotton  Exchange  and  Board  of  Trade  has 
been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  Houston  and  has  done  an  immense 
amount  of  work  looking  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  city.  Almost 
from  the  day  of  its  formation  it  has  been  active  in  the  work  of 
building  the  ship  channel.  It  has  always  had  a  standing  commit- 
tee on  the  ship  channel,  and  the  annual  report  of  this  committee 
has  always  been  one  of  the  leading  features  of  the  annual  meet- 
ings of  the  Exchange.  It  has  done  work  in  every  way  and  in 
every  direction  for  the  advancement  of  the  material  interests  of 
Houston.  Today  much  of  that  work  is  in  the  hands  of  able,  special 
organizations,  but  the  initial  steps  in  all  of  them  were  taken  by 
the  Houston  Cotton  Exchange  and  Board  of  Trade. 

Perhaps  the  best  way  in  which  the  importance  and  growth 
of  the  Exchange  may  be  shown  is  by  calling  attention  to  the 
fact  that  when  it  was  organized,  and  for  some  years  after,  a  seat 
on  the  floor  could  be  purchased  for  five  dollars  and  the  annual 
dues  were  twelve  dollars,  a  dollar  each  month.  Today  a  mem- 
bership in  the  Exchange  costs  $2,000  and  there  are  so  few  sellers 
at  that  figure  that  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  buy  a  certificate  of 
membership.  The  annual  dues  are  $50,  payable  in  advance. 
There  are  fees  and  other  dues,  amounting  to  thousands  of  dollars 
which  furnish  funds  for  the  current  expenses. 

The  following  have  been  the  officials  of  the  Exchange : 

1874-75 — C.  S.  Longcope,  president;  W.  J.  Hutchins,  first 
vice-president;  B.  A.  Shepherd,  second  vice-president;  Geo.  W. 
Kidd,  secretary. 

1875-76 — W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  Geo.  L.  Porter,  first 
vice-president;  S.  K.  Mcllhenny,  second  vice-president;  T.  W. 
House,  Jr.,  third  vice-president;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1876-77 — Geo.  L.  Porter,  president;  J.  H.  Blake,  first  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  Jr.,  second-vice-president;  S.  K.  Mcll- 
henny, third  vice-president;  Geo.  "W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1877-78 — H.  R.  Percy,  president;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer; 
Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  317 

1878-79— S.  K  Mcllhenny,  president;  Wm.  V.  R.  Watson, 
vice-president ;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer ;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1879-80 — Wm.  V.  R.  Watson,  president;  Louis  Harde,  vice- 
president;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1880-81 — A.  H.  Lea,  president;  T.  W.  House,  vice-president; 
Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer ;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1881-82 — S.  K.  Mcllhenny,  president;  E.  L.  Dennis,  vice- 
president  ;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer ;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1882-83 — S.  A.  McAshan,  president;  H.  W.  Garrow,  vice- 
president  ;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer ;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1883-84 — S.  A.  McAshan,  president;  H.  W.  Garrow,  vice- 
president;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1884-85— W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  H.  W.  Garrow,  vice- 
president;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1885-86 — W.  D.  Cleveland,  president ;  H.  W.  Garrow,  vice- 
president  ;  Fred  A.  Rice,  treasurer ;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1886-87— W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  H.  W.  Garrow,  vice 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1887-88— W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  Wm.  M.  Read,  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1888-89— W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  Wm.  M.  Read,  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1889-90— W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  Wm.  M.  Read,  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1890-91 — W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  Wm.  M.  Read,  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1891-92— Wm.   M.   Read,   president;   E.   W.    Sewall,   vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1892-93— H.    W.    Garrow,    president;    Felix    Halff,    vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1893-94— H.   W.   Garrow,    president;    Felix    Halff,    vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1894-95— H.    W.    Garrow,   president;    Felix    Halff,    vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1895-96— H.    W.    Garrow,    president;    Felix   Halff,    vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 


318  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

1896-97— H.  W.  Garrow,  president;  Felix  Halff,  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  Geo.  W.  Kidd,  secretary. 

1897-98— H.  W.  Garrow,  president ;  Wm.  V.  R.  Watsonr  vice- 
president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  B.  W.  Martin,  secretary. 

1898-99— H.  W.  Garrow,  president;  George  W.  Neville, 
vice-president ;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer ;  B.  R.  Warner,  secretary. 

1899-1900— H.  W.  Garrow,  president;  George  W.  Neville, 
vice-president ;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer ;  B.  R.  Warner,  secretary. 

1900-01 — H.  W.  Garrow,  president;  George  W.  Neville, 
vice-president;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer;  B.  R.  Warner,  secretary. 

1901-02 — H.  W.  Garrow,  president;  George  W.  Neville, 
vice-president ;  T.  W.  House,  treasurer ;  B.  R.  Warner,  secretary. 

1902-03 — W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  George  W.  Neville, 
vice-president ;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer ;  W.  R.  Warner,  secretary. 

1903-04 — W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  John  M.  Dor,rance, 
vice-president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  sec- 
retary. 

1904-05 — W.  D.  Cleveland,  president;  John  M.  Dorrance, 
vice-president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  sec- 
retary. 

1905-06 — M.  E.  Andrews,  president ;  E.  W.  Taylor,  vice- 
president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  secretary. 

1906-07 — W.  O.  Ansley,  president;  E.  W.  Taylor,  vice- 
president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  secretary. 

1907-08 — E.  W.  Taylor,  president;  James  H.  Adair,  vice- 
president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  secretary. 

1908-09 — A.  L.  Nelms,  president;  James  H.  Adair,  vice- 
president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  secretary. 

1909-10 — A.  L.  Nelms,  president;  James  H.  Adair,  vice- 
president  ;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer ;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  secretary. 

1910-11 — A.  L.  Nelms,  president;  Jno.  W.  Sanders,  vice- 
president;  W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  W.  J.  DeTreville,  secretary.* 

1911-12 — A.  L.  Nelms,  president;  A.  W.  Pollard,  vice-pres- 
ident; W.  B.  Chew,  treasurer;  J.  F.  Burwell,  secretary. 

*Secretary  DeTreville  died  June  21,  1910.  Mr.  J.  F.  Bur- 
well  acted  as  secretary  from  June  21  to  August  10,  at  which  date 
he  became  the  regular  secretary. 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  319 

Houston  long  ago  passed  that  point  in  her  growth  as  a  com- 
mercial center,  where  her  supremacy  depended  on  the  handling 
of  any  single  commodity,  such  as  cotton,  but  from  the  early 
ox-wagon  days  to  the  present  time  when  the  railways  bring  the 
produce  of  Texas,  and  of  the  Southwest  as  well,  to  the  point 
Vhere  rail  and  water  transportation  join,  cotton  has  been  king, 
and  will  always  continue  to  be  king.  The  reasons  for  this  are 
both  natural  and  artificial.  Natural  from  the  geographical  posi- 
tion of  Houston;  artificial  because  of  the  energy,  fore-sight  and 
business  acumen  of  the  men  who  have  had  the  commercial  des- 
tiny of  the  city  in  their  keeping. 

During  the  last  ten  years  the  most  wonderful  and  far- 
reaching  changes  in  the  methods  of  marketing  cotton  have  taken 
place,  and  had  not  Houston  adapted  herself  promptly  to  meet 
these  changes  and  the  conditions  brought  about  through  them, 
she  would  have  been  left  high  and  dry,  a  mere  way-station  on 
the  commercial  highway. 

The  greatest  of  these  changes  was  in  the  method  of  buying 
and  selling  cottpn.  Formerly  the  farmer  or  interior  merchant, 
who  traded  with  the  former  for  his  cotton,  shipped  it  to  Houston, 
or  to  some  other  large  city,  to  be  sold  at  once,  if  prices  were 
favorable,  or  to  be  held,  subject  to  his  order,  for  better  prices. 
The  commission  merchant,  or  cotton  factor,  as  he  is  called,  would 
advance  part  of  the  value  of  such  cotton  to  the  shipper,  so  the 
method  was  satisfactory  to  all  concerned.  However,  the  big 
cotton  consumers  on  the  other  side  conceived  the  idea  of  estab- 
lishing their  own  agencies  in  this  country,  with  the  view  to 
cutting  out  middlemen,  as  far  as  possible.  These  agencies  scat- 
tered buyers  all  over  the  state.  This,  at  once,  caused  a  radical 
change  in  the  cotton  business  and  relegated,  in  a  great  measure, 
the  old  cotton  factor  with  his  slow  but  safe  method,  to  a  second- 
ary place.  Quick  transportation,  the  telegraph  and  telephone, 
assisted  materially  in  bringing  about  the  change,  for  they 
enabled  the  farmer  or  merchant  hundreds  of  miles  away  from 
Houston,  to  learn  as  much  about  the  market  as  the  man  on  the 
floor  of  the  cotton  exchange  could  learn.  Today,  under  the  new 
system,  cotton  is  bought  in  every  little  town  and  hamlet  in  the 


320  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

state,  directly  from  first  hands,  and  the  seller  gets  the  full 
market  value  of  the  day,  too,  for  there  is  always  sharp  compe- 
tition between  buyers. 

This  had  led  to  the  development  of  what  is  called  the  free 
on  board  business,  which  has  eliminated  about  all  the  army  of 
middlemen  of  former  days.  Under  it  a  firm  of  exporters  will 
contract  to  ship,  let  us  say,  1,000  bales  of  cotton  of  a  given 
grade  and  weight,  at  a  fixed  price.  The  price  covers  all  charges 
and  expenses  up  to  the  time  the  cotton  is  placed  on  board  a  ship 
at  the  port.  The  seller  guarantees  the  cotton  to  be  according  to 
contract  both  in  class  and  weight,  so  the  buyer  is  protected 
against  loss  in  case  the  shipment  is  deficient  in  any  way. 

Realizing  the  probable  and  possible  changes  in  the  methods 
of  handling  cotton  that  this  new  business  would  bring  about,  and 
knowing  that  provision  must  be  made  for  the  proper  care  of  the 
vast  number  of  bales  that  would  necessarily  have  to  be  concen- 
trated at  some  point  under  its  working,  Houston  began,  at  the 
very  conception  of  the  business,  to  develop  and  care  for  it.  Her 
old  warehouses  and  compresses  were  renovated  and,  in  some 
instances,  enlarged,  new  ones  were  built  and  everything  was 
done  for  facilitating  and  properly  caring  for  the  trade. 

A  piece  of  forethought  which  has  been  of  the  greatest 
advantage  was  placing  every  warehouse  and  compress  in  the  city 
either  on  the  banks  of  the  ship  channel  or  on  some  railroad.  The 
advantage  of  this  is  that  it  eliminates  the  costly  item  of  drayage 
and  this  alone  gives  Houston  an  advantage  of  from  lOc  to  12~y2c 
per  bale  over  all  competitors.  The  extent  of  such  an  advantage 
can  be  appreciated  when  it  is  known  that  frequently  a  cost  of 
5c  per  bale  will  cause  a  change  in  the  routing  of  cotton.  Today 
no  place  in  the  country  has  greater  or  better  facilities  for  hand- 
ling and  caring  for  cotton  than  Houston.  This  is  no  idle  boast 
as  the  following  brief  description  of  those  facilities  show : 

The  Cleveland  Compress  is  the  oldest  in  years  of  continuous 
service  of  all  Houston  compresses,  but  it  is  old  in  no  other  way, 
for  it  is  strictly  modern  in  all  its  equipments  and  absolutely  up- 
to-date  in  every  way.  It  is  located  on  the  north  side  of  the  ship 
channel,  and  has  a  frontage  of  several  hundred  feet  on  the 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  321 

channel,  where  there  is  every  facility  for  loading  directly  on 
ships  or  barges  for  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  company  has  just 
completed  an  addition  to  its  yard  and  shed  room,  so  that  its 
total  capacity  is  now  55,000  bales.  The  compress  has  a  capacity 
of  100  bales  per  hour.  Captain  Win.  D.  Cleveland  is  president 
of  the  company  and  Mr.  D.  Mullaine  is  superintendent  of  the 
press. 

The  Magnolia  Warehouse  and  Storage  Company,  formerly 
known  as  the  Weld-Neville  Company,  has  doubtless  the  most 
magnificent  and  thoroughly  equipped  warehouse?  and  compress 
in  the  United  States.  This  company  has  recently  made  exten- 
sive additions  to  its  plant,  the  cost  of  which  was  $200,000.  The 
plant  has  always  been  considered  one  of  the  largest  and  best 
equipped  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  South,  and  this  expen- 
diture of  so  large  a  sum  in  the  way  of  additions,  shows  that  its 
owners  have  confidence  in  the  growth  of  Houston's  already 
immense  cotton  business,  and  its  permanency  as  a  commercial 
and  industrial  center.  It  really  goes  beyond  local  faith  in  such 
matters,  for,  in  a  measure  it  reflects  the  sentiment  of  outsiders, 
one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  firm  being  a  member  of  the 
New  York  Cotton  Exchange.  The  immensity  of  the  plant  is 
shown  by  the  statement  that  the^  new  brick  warehouse  has  a 
storage  capacity  of  75,000  bales  and  covers  an  area  of  264,000 
square  feet.  The  warehouse  is  as  perfect  as  experience  and  science 
can  make  it,  and  is  as  perfectly  protected  against  fire  as  the 
ingenuity  of  man  can  devise.  It  is  divided  into  compartments 
separated  from  each  other  by  thick  brick  walls,  an-1  each  com- 
partment is  fitted  with  Grinnel  automatic  sprinklers  These  are 
ingenious.  Should  a  slight  fire  occur,  so  soon  as  the  heal;  from  the 
burning  bale  reaches  a  certain  temperature,  it  melts  a  wire  which 
forms  an  electric  circuit  which  opens  the  sprinklers  thus'  flooding 
the  compartment  and  at  the  same  time  rings  a  bell  in  the  office 
showing  exactly  where  the  fire  is  located.  The  mechanism  of  these 
sprinklers  is  so  delicately  adjusted  that  on  one  occasion  the  heat 
caused  by  the  sun  set  one  of  the  sprinklers  going  and  flooded  a 
compartment.  This  perfect  fire  protection  and  the  protection 
against  weather,  entitles  the  warehouse  to  a  very  low  insurance 


322  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

rate.  This  alone  is  a  great  thing  for  it  will  attract  large  quantities 
of  cotton  to  Houston  where  it  can  be  stowed  safely  and  have  at  the 
same  time  the  advantage  of  the  lowest  insurance  rate  obtainable. 
In  the  storing  of  cotton  the  insurance  rate  is  a  big  factor. 

The  company's  property  is  located  at  the  juncture  of  Bray's 
Bayou  and  the  ship  channel  and  has  a  frontage  of  1,500  feet 
on  the  channel  and  700  feet  on  the  bayou.  A  reinforced  concrete 
retaining  wall  is  now  being  constructed  along  the  whole  water 
front,  which  will  be  so  constructed  as  to  afford  modern  shipping 
piers  and  ships  where  vessels  may  be  easily  loaded.  This  wall 
is  now  well  under  way  towards  completion  and  will  cost  $100,000. 
The  tedious  and  expensive  method  of  trucking  cotton  from  one 
part  of  the  yard  to  another  is  avoided  by  the  construction  of 
overhead  trolleys  or  tramways,  whereby  half  a  dozen  bales  of 
cotton  can  be  transferred  at  one  time,  with  as  much  ease  as  the 
packages  purchased  in  a  drygoods  store  are  handled.  The  press 
is  of  the  very  latest  and  most  perfect  type  and  has  a  capacity 
of  120  bales  per  hour.  Mr.  A.  C.  Cairns  is  the  company's  man- 
ager in  Houston. 

The  Merchants  Compress  Company  is  another  of  Houston's 
big  cotton  handling  concerns.  It  is  located  directly  on  the  bank 
of  the  ship  channel,  north  side,  and  has  its  own  wharves,  chutes 
and  everything  for  the  rapid  loading  of  cotton  directly  on  ships 
or  barges.  It  also  has  rail  connection  with  the  Southern  Pacific 
and  Terminal  system.  It  has  an  under-cover  storing  capacity  of 
35,000  bales  and  a  total  holding  capacity  of  60,000  bales.  Its 
press  is  very  powerful  and  has  a  capacity  of  150  bales  an  hour. 
Mr.  John  K.  Sanders,  who  for  many  years  has  been  prominent  in 
Houston's  cotton  business,  is  president  of  the  company. 

The  Union  Compress  and  Warehouse  Company  has  a  stor- 
ing capacity  of  about  25,000  bales  nearly  all  under  cover,  and  a 
compress  capacity  of  between  1,200  and  1,500  bales  per  day. 
It  has  trackage  connection  with  the  International  and  Great 
Northern  Railway,  the  Southern  Pacific  and  Belt  Terminal  Com- 
pany and  it  also  has  facilities  for  loading  on  ships  and  barges. 
Mr.  A.  Breyer  is  president  of  this  company. 

The  Southern  Compress  and  "Warehouse  Company  is  a  new 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  323 

organization.  Its  yards  and  compress  have  just  been  completed. 
It  is  an  expansion  of  McFadden  Bros.'  business.  It  is  located 
on  the  north  side  of  the  ship  channel,  on  the  International  and 
Great  Northern  Road.  Its  compressing  capacity  is  between 
1,200  and  1,500  bales  and  its  storing  capacity  is  20,000  bales. 
It  has  wharves  and  platforms  for  loading  directly  on  boats  in 
the  channel  and  expects  to  handle  150,000  bales  this  coming 
season  of  1911-12. 

The  Standard  Compress  Company  is  a  very  active  concern. 
It  has  a  brick  warehouse  and  three  large  sheds  located  on  twenty 
acres  fronting  the  ship  channel.  It  also  has  in  addition  to  its 
water  facilities,  rail  connections  with  the  International  and  Great 
Northern  and  San  Antonio  and  Aransas  Pass  roads.  It  has  a 
press  capacity  of  about  1,000  bales  per  day  and  a  storing  capac- 
ity of  26,000  bales,  nearly  all  under  cover.  Mr.  M.  E.  Andrews 
is  general  manager,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

There  are  several  warehouses  and  storing  yards,  without 
compresses,  which  increase  Houston's  facilities  for  caring  for 
cotton  shipped  here.  The  International  and  Great  Northern 
platform,  which  is  under  shed,  has  a  storing  capacity  for 
50,000  bales. 

The  Direct  Navigation  company  has  platform  space  for  the 
storage  of  26,500  bales;  the  Mcllhenny  yards,  for  2,000  bales; 
Henke  and  Pilldt,  for  1,200  bales  and  S.  Samuels'  warehouse  for 
1,500  bales.  These  bring  the  total  storage  capacity  of  Houston's 
compresses  and  warehouses  up  to  325,700  bales,  and  its  com- 
press capacity  to  8,700  bales  per  day  of  ten  hours. 

As  an  indication  of  the  value  of  water  transportation,  it 
may  be  said  here  that  for  the  commercial  year  that  ended 
August  31,  1911,  there  were  shipped  down  the  ship  channel 
from  presses  and.  warehouses  located  on  its  banks,  392,  684  bales 
of  cotton.  There  is  an  object  lesson  in  these  figures,  for  each 
bale  enumerated  represents  a  saving  from  ten  to  twelve  and  one- 
half  cents,  in  the  way  of  drayage. 

The  Houston  Business  League  was  organized  as  the  result 
of  a  meeting  held  February  26,  1895.  Forty  citizens  were 
assembled.  Col.  R.  M.  Johnson  called  the  meeting  to  order  and 


324  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

explained  the  object  of  the  call  to  be  the  organization  of  a  per- 
manent commercial  association;  to  be  composed  of  citizens  of 
Houston  who  had  at  heart  the  interests  of  the  city  of  Houston. 
Temporary  organization  was  effected  by  the  election  of  Colonel 
Johnson  as  chairman  and  W.  W.  Dexter  as  secretary. 

At  this  original  meeting,  committees  were  appointed  to  out- 
.line  purposes  and  plans  and  to  solicit  members.  Among  those 
who  took  part  in  the  first  organization  were  R.  M.  Johnson,  D. 
D.  Bryan,  W.  W.  Dexter,  E.  T.  Heiner,  J.  M.  Cotton,  R.  B. 
Morris,  C.  E.  Jones,  H.  G.  Lidston,  Richard  Cocke,  Gus  Schulte, 
J.  H.  Bright,  Hamp.  Cook,  D.  M.  Angel,  G.  W.  Steiff,  and  D.  H. 
McCullough.  Following  this  meeting  much  active  work  was 
done. 

The  second  business  meeting  was  held  March  5,  1895.  At 
that  meeting  several  names  were  suggested  for  the  association, 
and  at  first  the  name  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  adopted,  but 
afterwards  it  was  changed  to  the  Houston  Business  League.  The 
purposes  of  the  association  were  declared  in  the  constitution, 

. 

which  said: 

"The  object  of  the  Houston  Business  League  is  to  promote 
immigration,  to  create  and  extend  and  foster  the  trade,  com- 
merce and  manufacturing  interests  of  the  city  of  Houston;  to 
secure  and  build  up  transportation  lines ;  to  secure  reasonable 
and  equitable  transportation  rates;  to  build  up  and  maintain 
the  value  of  our  real  estate,  progressive,  efficient  and  economical 
administration  of  our  municipal  government,  to  collect,  preserve 
and  disseminate  information  in  relation  to  our  commercial,  finan- 
cial and  industrial  affairs,  and  to  unite  as  far  as  possible  our 
people  in  one  representative  body." 

The  following  were  the  first  officers  of  the  Business  League 
after  it  was  thoroughly  organized:  President,  J.  M.  Cotton; 
first  vice-president,  Ed.  Kiam;  second  vice-president,  J.  C.  Ber- 
ing ;  third  vice-president,  E.  T.  Heiner ;  secretary,  W.  "W.  Dexter, 
and  treasurer,  Guy  H.  Harcourt. 

After  a  short  time  Mr.  Dexter  resigned  as  secretary  and 
Mr.  George  P.  Brown  was  chosen  as  his  successor.  No  better 
man  could  have  been  found  for  the  important  work,  and  Mr. 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  325 

Brown,  by  his  enthusiastic  energy  and  executive  ability  soon 
placed  the  Houston  Business  League  in  the  front  rank.  During 
his  administration  a  number  of  large  manufacturing  plants  and 
other  industries  were  secured  for  Houston.  The  Business  League 
also  inspired  and  aided  in  organizing  the  Floral  Festival  and  the 
No-Tsu-Oh  association  and  in  other  ways  brought  the  name  of 
Houston  prominently  before  the  country.  In  1910,  the  league 
was  reorganized,  and  the  name  given  to  its  new  organization  was 
the  Houston  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Secretary  Adolph  Boldt  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
explains  very  lucidly,  in  his  annual  report  for  1910,  that  the 
Houston  Chamber  of  Commerec  is  not  here  by  accident,  but  is 
the  result  of  growth,  development  and  expansion  of  the  original 
idea  which  led  to  the  primary  organizations,  whose  object  was 
to  care  for  the  purely  business  matters,  without  reference  to  their 
surroundings  and  relations.  The  secretary's  idea  is  that  the  body 
he  has  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  serving  so  well,  is  the  result 
of  business  evolution,  and  that  it  represents  the  very  latest  and 
most  effective  methods  of  building  up  and  maintaining  the  city's 
commercial,  financial,  and  social  surpremacy.  When  one  glances 
at  what  has  been  accomplished  in  the  past  and  what  is  planned 
for  the  future,  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  studies  its 
means  and  methods,  one  feels  ready  to  admit  the  truth  of  all 
that  is  claimed 'by  and  for  it.  The  keynote  of  the  success  of  this 
organization  is  its  denial  of  the  proverbial  myth  that  business 
is  business  and  cold  blooded,  and  its  recognition  that  business 
has  a  social  side  that  may  be  cultivated,  otteu,  with  great  proiit 
to  the  cultivator. 

A  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  organized  in  Houston  in 
1840,  but  the  present  body  has  no  historical  connection  with 
that  old  one.  The  Houston  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  of  today  and 
for  today.  It  is  of  the  present  and  its  efforts  are  directed  to  the 
future  and  not  to  the  past.  It  is  most  thoroughly  organized  and 
in  consequence  a  vast  amount  of  work  is  accomplished  without 
friction  or  unnecessary  delay.  There  is  a  general  association, 
which  has  a  responsible  head,  but  all  the  work  of  the  association 
is  accomplished  through  special  committees  while  routine  mat- 


326  History  of  Houston.  Texas 

ters  are  handled  by  bureaus.  Thus,  there  is  the  Traffic  Bureau, 
to  which  is  referred  all  matters  relating  to  freights  and  kindred 
subjects.  This  is  perhaps  the  hardest  worked  bureau  in  the 
association,  and  one,  too,  that  is  never  through  with  its  labors. 
Then  there  is  the  Convention  Bureau,  whose  duty  it  is  to  look 
after  all  conventions,  wherever  held,  and  to  make  efforts  to 
secure  them  for  Houston  and,  if  they  come,  to  see  that  they  are 
properly  entertained  after  they  get  here,  for  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  believes  that  a  favorable  impression  made  on  a  visitor 
is  a  great  asset  for  the  city  that  entertains.  The  Bureau  of 
Publicity  has  assigned  to  it  the  arduous  duty  of  keeping  Hous- 
ton constantly  in  the  public  eye.  The  methods  employed  by  this 
Bureau  are  so  many  and  so  divergent  that  it  is  difficult  to  enu- 
merate them  with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  The  newspapers,  mag- 
azines, circulars,  in  fact,  every  known  method  of  advertising  is 
used.  The  Chamber  established  what  is  known  as  "post  card 
day,"  and  the  extent  of  activity  in  that  direction  can  be  seen, 
when  it  stated  that  on  one  occasion  the  public  purchased  and 
sent  through  the  mails  in  every  direction,  more  than  100,000  post 
cards,  each  showing  a  view  of  some  part  of  the  city. 

The  Industrial  Bureau  has  yi  charge  all  matters  relating  to 
new  manufacturing  and  commercial  enterprises.  This  bureau 
has  accomplished  wonders  and  during  the  business  year  of  1910- 
11  alone,  it  secured  for  Houston  nineteen  manufacturing  con- 
cerns and  twelve  wholesale  and  distributing  houses.  In  addition 
to  this  the  bureau  is  now  making  arrangements  looking  to  secur- 
ing both  factories  and  commercial  bodies. 

The  accomplishments  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  have 
been  so  great  and  so  varied  that  their  simple  enumeration  would 
fill  pages.  Nothing  that  has  about  it  even  the  most  indirect 
promise  of  benefitting  the  city  has  been  neglected  by  it  and  it 
works  hand  in  hand,  and  unselfishly,  with  the  city  administration 
and  other  organizations  to  accomplish  the  greatest  good  for  the 
city. 

Its  present  officers  are :  President,  E.  A.  Peden ;  first  vice- 
president,  W.  C.  Munn ;  second  vice-president,  Edgar  0.  Lovett ; 
third  vice-president,  R.  C.  Duff;  treasurer,  Gray  M.  Bryan;  sec- 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  327 

retary,  Adolph  Boldt;  assistant  secretary,  G.  C.  Roussel;  traffic 
manager,  C.  C.  Oden;  director  of  publicity,  Jerome  H.  Farbar. 
Directors:  Jas.  L.  Autry,  A.  S.  Cleveland,  David  Daly,  F.  A. 
Heitman,  E.  A.  Hudson,  Abe  M.  Levy,  J.  W.  Link,  J.  W.  Neal, 
J.  M.  Rockwell,  John  T.  Scott,  Thomas  H.  Stone.  Secretary 
Boldt,  by  speeches  and  visits,  and  publicity  director,  Jerome 
Farbar,  by  widely  read  articles  in  periodicals,  have  given  the 
work  of  the  body  wide  and  favorable  publicity. 

The  Organization  of  the  Cotton  Exchange  and  Board  of 
Trade  was  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  cotton,  grain  and  other 
produce  here  and  the  object  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  to 
upbuild  the  wholesale  trade  and  to  build  up  the  manufacturing 
interests  of  the  city.  Each  worked  for  the  prosperity  of  Hous- 
ton but  on  different  lines  and  used  different  methods.  In  the 
earlier  stages,  in  order  to  handle  the  immense  amount  of  cotton 
and  produce,  and  in  the  second  stages  in  order  to  care  for  the 
large  commercial  and  manufacturing  interests  that  were  attracted 
here,  vast  sums  of  money  were  necessary,  and  this  need  gave 
birth  to  the  large  banks  and  trust  companies  that  Houston  boasts 
of  today. 

Houston -has  always  had  banks,  but  the  really  great  institu- 
tions are  of  comparatively  modern  date.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
Houston  can  boast  of  having  had  the  first  bank  ever  organized  in 
Texas,  as  she  can  boast  of  having  had  so  many  other  first  things. 

The  Commercial  and  Agricultural  Bank  of  Texas  was  char- 
tered by  the  Congress  of  Coahuila  and  Texas  to  S.  M.  "Williams 
and  associates  in  1835.  In  1836  the  same  Congress  passed  an  act 
for  the  relief  of  the  incorporators.  The  bank  was  not  organized 
until  after  the  convention  of  1835.  That  convention  denounced 
and  prohibited  banks,  but  had  to  recognize  vested  rights  acquired 
before  the  independence  of  Texas.  The  barik  was  an  ambitious 
one  and  had  nothing  small  about  it.  Its  authorized  capital  was 
$1,000,000  and  $100,000  was  paid  up.  It  was  a  bank  of  issue. 
The  first  president  of  the  bank  was  S.  M.  Williams  and  its  first 
cashier  was  J.  "W.  McMillan. 

For  many  years  this  was  the  only  chartered  bank  operating 
in  the  state,  for  Texas  chartered  no  banks  until  after  the 


328  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

adoption  of  the  constitution  in  1870.  It  was  by  no  means  popu- 
lar and  obstacles  were  placed  in  its  way  and  efforts  made  to 
break  it  down.  It  was  finally  destroyed  for  good  when  a  decision 
rendered  in  the  supreme  court,  in  1859,  annulled  its  charter. 
Soon  after  that  Mr.  Williams  died  and  the  affairs  of  the  bank 
were  wound  up  by  Mr.  B.  A.  Shepherd,  who  had  become  one  of 
its  principal  owners.  As  early  as  1850,  or  about  that  time, 
Mr.  T.  W.  House,  who  had  begun  business  in  Houston  in  1838, 
was  well  established  and  opened  a  private  bank  in  connection 
with  his  cotton  factorage  business,  and  in  1854  Mr.  B.  A.  Shep- 
herd engaged  exclusively  in  the  banking  business  and  he  was 
the  first  man  in  Texas  to  do  so.  Mr.  W.  J.  Hutchins  was  another 
early  Houstonian  who  did  a  mixed  factorage  and  banking  busi- 
ness. Until  after  the  war  practically  all  the  banking  busint  ss  of 
the  state  was  done  in  Houston  and  Galveston. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Texas,  now  known  as  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Galveston,  was  the  first  national  bank  in  the 
state.  It  was  soon  followed  by  others  in  the  order  given  here: 
The  First  National  Bank  of  Houston,  the  First  National  Bank 
of  San  Antonio  and  the  First  National  Bank  of  Jefferson.  The 
first  cashier  of  a  national  bank  in  the  state  was  J.  B.  Root,  father 
of  A.  P.  Root,  who  was  later  cashier  and  then  president  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Houston. 

During  the  early  seventies  Mr.  W.  J.  Hutchins  closed  out  his 
banking  interests  and  gave  his  whole  attention  to  his  large  whole- 
sale business,  but  Mr.  T.  W.  House,  while  not  abandoning  his 
factorage  business  completely,  gave  it  less  and  less  attention  and 
devoted  himself  to  banking.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  T.  W. 
House,  about  1881,  his  oldest  son,  T.  W.  House,  Jr.,  bought  the 
interest  of  his  brothers  in  the  bank  and  devoted  his  time  and 
attention  exclusively  to  its  affairs.  For  many  years  this  bank 
stood  in  the  front  ranks  of  responsible  financial  institutions  in 
the  state,  but  in  the  panic  of  1907,  owing  to  many  causes,  it 
made  a  sensational  failure,  and  its  affairs  are  still  undergoing 
adjustment. 

The  City  Bank  of  Houston  began  business  under  the  most 
favorable  auspices  on  November  1,  1870.  Its  capital  stock  was 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  329 

$250,000.  Col.  B.  A.  Botts  was  its  president  until  his  death  in 
September,  1885.  Mr.  W.  R.  Baker  was  chosen  to  succeed  him. 
Over-indulgence  to  customers  of  the  bank,  led  to  its  undoing, 
and  on  December  19,  1885,  it  suspended  payment  and  went  into 
the  hands  of  a  receiver.  Major  B.  F.  "Weems  was  the  receiver. 
Mr.  Baker  was  the  principal  loser  by  the  failure,  which  had 
little  or  no  effect  on  the  credit  of  the  town. 

The  Houston  Savings  Bank,  whose  officers  were  F.  A.  Rice, 
W.  D.  Cleveland,  J.  Waldo,  M.  G.  Howe,  W.  B.  Botts  and  E. 
Raphael,  after  doing  business  for  about  twelve  years,  closed  its 
doors  February  26,  1886,  and  Dr.  D.  F.  Stuart  was  appointed 
receiver  to  wind  up  its  affairs.  There  was  not  a  great  amount 
of  money  involved,  hence  the  losses  were  very  small. 

The  foregoing  may  be  classed  as  pioneer  banks  of  Houston. 
They  seem  very  insignificant  compared  with  the  gigantic  institu- 
tions of  the  present  time. 

If  the  true  test  of  a  city 's  growth  may  be  determined  by  the 
growth  of  its  banks  and  financial  institutions,  then  Houston  can 
stand  the  test  in  a  way  that  few  other  cities  can.  Comparing  the 
figures  of  today  with  those  of  ten  years  ago  would  be  manifestly 
unjust  for  there  should  be  and  would  be  a  natural  increase  shown. 
But  taking  the  figures  for  one  year  and  comparing  them  with 
those  for  the  preceding  year  and  the  year  preceding  that,  gives 
us  a  true  statement  of  actual  conditions.  This  is  the  better  test 
and  it  is  this  comparison  that  Houston  stands  so  well. 

The  total  bank  clearings  for  the  twelve  months,  ending  De- 
cember 31,  were,  for  1908,  $1,063,835,612;  for  1909,  they  were 
$1,279,764,128;  for  1910,  they  were  $1,349,403,095.  This  state- 
ment shows  that  the  clearings  for  1909  were  $215,928,506  greater 
than  those  for  time  preceding  year  and  that  the  figures  for  1910 
showed  an  increase  of  $69,639,967  over  the  remarkable  increase 
of  the  year  before.  This  is  strong  evidence  of  Houston 's  financial 
growth. 

There  are  twelve  financial  institutions  in  Houston,  three  of 
them  having  a  capital  stock  of  $1,000,000  each.  The  First 
National  Bank,  capital  $1,000,000.  The  Union  National  Bank, 
capital  $1,000,000.  The  Bankers  Trust  Company,  capital 


330  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

$1,000,000.  The  Southern  Trust  Company,  capital  $800,000. 
The  American  Trust  Company,  capital  $500,000.  The  Com- 
mercial National  Bank,  capital  $500,000.  The  South  Texas 
National  Bank,  capital  $500,00t).  The  Texas  Trust  Company, 
capital  $500,000.  Lumbermens  National  Bank,  capital  $400,000. 
Houston  Land  and  Trust  Company,  capital  $250,000.  The  Hous- 
ton National  Exchange  Bank,  capital  $200,000.  The  Guaranty 
State  Bank,  capital  $20,000.  Eight  of  these  do  a  banking  busi- 
ness only  and  four  are  exclusively  trust  companies. 

From  the  little  two-story  brick  building  on  the  corner  of 
Main  Street  and  Congress  Avenue,  formerly  the  home  of  Mr. 
Shepherd's  bank,  to  the  immense  skyscraper,  the  home  of  tiie 
Union  National  Bank,  just  across  the  street  from  Mr.  Shepherd's 
old  bank,  is  a  long  step,  and  yet  it  is  only  one  of  the  steps  that 
have  been  taken  by  all  the  banks.  The  banking  institutions  have 
grown  so  rapidly  in  the  last  ten  years  that  nearly  all  of  them 
have  had  to  enlarge  their  quarters.  Some  years  ago  the  First 
National,  the  Commercial  and  the  Houston  Land  and  Trust  Com- 
pany erected  buildings  of  their  own  on  the  three  corners  of 
Main  and  Franklin.  The  building  of  the  First  National  is  an 
imposing  structure,  being  eight  stories  high  and  built  of  stone 
and  marble.  Two  years  ago  the  bank  added  to  its  building, 
practically  doubling  its  capacity,  and  reserving  all  the  ground 
floor  for  bank  purposes.  The  South  Tex.-is  National  Bank 
erected  a  beautiful  building  on  the  east  side  of  Main  Street, 
between  Congress  and  Franklin  Avenues.  This  is  an  extremely 
handsome  building.  It  is  of  Greek  architecture  and  built  entire- 
ly of  marble.  The  massive  columns  in  front  are  said  to  be  the 
largest  single  pieces  of  marble  in  any  building  in  Texas.  The 
Union  National  Bank,  formerly  the  Union  Bank  and  Trust  Com- 
pany, will  soon  be  in  its  own  building.  The  building  is  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Congress  and  Main.  It  is  twelve  stories 
high,  is  of  steel  frame  structure  and  is  modern  in  every  respect. 
It  is  practically  completed  and  will  be  one  of  the  handsomest 
bank  and  office  buildings  in  America. 

The  First  National  Bank  aside  from  being  the  oldest  is  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  responsible  institutions  of  the  kind  in 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  331 

Houston.  This  bank  began  business  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$100,000,  but  this  was  increased  from  time  to  time,  and  in  1909 
it  was  increased  to  $1,000,000.  Its  present  deposits,  June  30. 
1911,  amount  to  over  $7,600,000  and  its  capital,  surplus  and  undi- 
vided profits  are  $1,378,473.85,  every  cent  of  which,  with  the 
exception  of  $300,000  was  earned  by  the  bank.  During  the  last 
ten  years  the  increase  in  deposits  had  been  over  five  and  onp- 
quarter  million  dollars.  The  officers  of  this  bank  are :  0.  L. 
Cochran,  president;  J.  T.  Scott,  first  vice-president;  H.  R.  Eld- 
ridge,  second  vice-president;  "W.  S.  Cochran,  cashier;  W.  E. 
Hertford  and  F.  E.  Russell,  assistant  cashiers. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1866  by  Mr.  B. 
A.  Shepherd  and  Mr.  T.  M.  Bagby.  Mr.  Bagby  was  its  first  presi- 
dent and  on  his  death,  Mr.  Shepherd  succeeded  him.  When  Mr. 
Shepherd  died,  Mr.  A.  S.  Root,  his  son-in-law,  became  president. 
A  year  or  two  ago  Mr.  Root  died  and  Mr.  0.  L.  Cochran,  another 
of  Mr.  Shepherd's  sons-in-law  became,  and  still  is,  president. 
None  of  the  stock  of  this  bank  can  be  bought,  as  there  is  none 
for  sale.  It  is  said,  that  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  shares, 
all  the  stock  is  held  by  the  Shepherd  family,  or  its  connections. 

The  Commercial  National  Bank  was  the  second  national  bank 
organized  in  Houston.  It  received  its  charter  in  1886.  The 
capital  stock  is  $500,000.  It  does  an  immense  business  and  on 
June  30,  1911,  its  deposits  were  very  nearly  four  and  one-half 
million  dollars.  It  owns  its  own  building,  a  modern  six-story 
steel  frame  structure;  on  Main  and  Franklin.  The  officers  of 
the  bank  are:  "W.  B.  Chew,  president;  James  A.  Baker,  vice- 
president;  Thorn  well  Fay,  vice-president;  Oscar  Wells,  cashier; 
P.  J.  Evershade,  assistant  cashier.  The  Houston  National 
Exchange  Bank  received  its  original  charter,  in  1889,  as  the 
Houston  National  Bank,  but  changed  its  name  in  1909.  The 
name  was  all  that  was  changed  for  the  original  aims  and  policies 
of  the  institution  have  been  adhered  to.  The  growth  of  this 
bank  during  the  past  three  years  has  been  so  phenomenal  as  to 
excite  admiration  in  commercial  circles.  In  July,  1909,  it  had 
deposits  amounting  to  $1,705,298.83,  and  at  the  June  call  in  1910, 
it  had  in  deposits  $2,763,829.28,  an  increase  of  $1,058,530.45  in 


332  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

twelve  months.  Again  at  the  June  call  in  1911,  its  deposits  were 
$3,308,078.25,  a  gain  of  $534,248.97.  This  bank  has  only  $200,- 
000  capital  and  the  surplus  and  undevided  profits  are  this  year, 
$132,997.02.  The  officers  of  the  bank  are :  Henry  S.  Fox,  pres- 
ident; Joseph  F.  Meyer,  M.  M.  Graves  and  H.  S.  Fox,  Jr., 
vice-presidents ;  J.  W.  Hertford,  cashier ;  F.  F.  Dearing  and  W. 
B.  Hilliard,  assistant  cashiers. 

The  South  Texas  National  Bank  was  chartered  in  1890,  and 
is  a  very  strong  financial  institution.  Its  capital  stock  is  $500,000, 
and  its  deposits  are  very  large.  On  June  30,1911,  when  the  call  was 
made  it  had  in  individual  and  bank  deposits  $5,172,376.33.  The 
officers  of  this  bank  are:  Charles  Dillingham,  president;  B.  D. 
Harris,  active  vice-president  and  cashier;  J.  E.  McAshan  and 
O.  T.  Holt,  vice-presidents;  August  DeZavala,  Paul  G.  Taylor 
and  R.  H.  Hanna,  Jr.,  assistant  cashiers. 

The  Union  National  Bank  is  one  of  the  strongest  institutions 
in  the  South.  It  really  represents  three  original  banks.  The 
Union  Bank  and  Trust  Company  was  chartered  in  1905  under 
the  new  banking  laws  of  Texas  receiving  charter  No.  1.  In  1908, 
it  effected  a  'consolidation  with  the  Planters  and  Mechanics  Bank 
and,  in  1910,  it  absorbed  the  Merchants  National  Bank.  When 
this  was  done  the  institution  became  a  national  bank,  with  a  cap- 
ital stock  of  $1,000,000.  At  the  same  time  it  took  its  present 
name.  Its  officers  are :  J.  S.  Rice*,  president ;  T.  C.  Dunn,  George 
Hamman,  W.  T.  Carter,  Abe  M.  Levy,  J.  M.  Rockwell,  Jesse  H. 
Jones  and  C.  G.  Pillot,  vice-presidents ;  DeWitt  C.  Dunn,  cashier ; 
D.  W.  Cooley  and  H.  B.  Finch,  assistant  cashiers. 

"Jonas  Shearn  Rice,  president  of  the  Union  National  Bank  of 
Houston,  and  of  the  Great  Southern  Life  Insurance  Company,  and 
an  official  in  many  other  banking  and  financial  concerns,  has  long 
been  the  most  prominent  banker  of  the  city  and  by  virtue  of 
business  and  social  prominence  and  connection  with  the  pioneer 
family  that  has  done  so  much  for  Houston,  would  perhaps  be  almost 
universally  regarded  as  the  first  citizen  of  the  city.  Mr.  Rice  was 
born  in  Houston  on  November  25,  1855.  His  mother  was  Charlotte 
M.  Baldwin,  a  daughter  of  Horace  Baldwin,  who  was  Mayor  of 
Houston  during  the  days  of  the  Republic  and  who  was  a  brother-in- 
law  of  A.  C.  Allen,  one  of  the  city's  founders.  His  family  is  of  old 
revolutionary  stock,  sprung  from  the  sturdy  Scotch-Irish  and  English 
pioneers  of  Colonial  days  in  America.  His  great  grandfather  Hall 
was  one  of  those  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Lexington  in  1775,  but 
despite  that  fact  lived  in  Massachusetts  to  the  age  of  102  years. 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  333 

The  Lumbermens  National  Bank  is  also  a  combination  of 
other  banks.  It  is  the  youngest  of  Houston's  banks,  but  is  a 
very  strong  and  healthy  youngster.  It  was  organized  in  1907, 
and,  in  1909,  it  absorbed  the  National  City  Bank.  Next  year  the 
American  National  Bank  and  the  Central  Bank  and  Trust  Com- 
pany liquidated  and  turned  over  their  business  to  the  Lumber- 
mens National  Bank.  The  'capital  stock  of  the  bank  is  $400,000. 
S.  F.  Carter  is  president;  Guy  M.  Bryan,  active  vice-president, 
and  Lynn  P.  Talley  is  cashier.  Messrs.  Carter  and  Bryan  are 
the  largest  shareholders. 

The  Guaranty  State  Bank  was  organized  under  the  state 
laws  of  Texas  governing  banks,  and  began  business  in  January, 
1910.  Its  capital  stock  is  $20,000  and  its  field  of  operation  is 
Houston,  Brunner,  Chaneyville  and  Houston  Heights.  A.  C. 
Bell  is  president;  H.  E.  Detering,  vice-president,  and  R.  F. 
Butts,  cashier. 

The  Harris  County  Bank  and  Trust  Company,  which  was 
organized  in  1907,  had  one-half  of  its  capital  stock, 
$25,000,  in  the  House  Bank,  which  failed.  The  bank  survived 
until  July,  1911,  when  it  failed  and  its  president,  F.  W.  Vaughn, 
disappeared. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  and  conditions  banks  may  be 
found  to  meet  the  financial  needs  of  a  community,  but  when  the 
interests  are  large,  varied,  and,  in  consequence,  complex,  a  third 
medium  is  needed,  and  it  is  to  supply  this  need  that  trust  com- 

The  father  of  Jonas  Shearn  Rice  was  Frederick  A.  Rice  of 
Massachusetts,  who  settled  in  Houston  in  1850.  He  was  one  of  the 
builders  of  the  first  railroad,  the  H.  &  T.  C.,  and  died  here  in  1901 
at  the  age  of  71. 

J.  S.  Rice  is  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  7  sons  and  3  daughters. 
A  younger  brother,  H.  B.  Rice,  is  now  and  has  been  for  many  years 
Mayor  of  Houston.  Two  other  brothers,  W.  M.  and  B.  B.  Rice  are 
prominent  business  men  of  Houston.  In  1887,  J.  S.  Rice  was  married 
at  Waco,  to  Mary  J.  Ross,  daughter  of  Colonel  Pete  F.  Ross,  the 
"hero  of  Corinth,"  the  niece  of  former  Governor  L.  S.  Ross  and  the 
grand-daughter  of  General  James  B.  Harrison.  Three  children  were 
born  of  this  union,  Laura  F.  Rice,  who  was  Queen  of  the  No-Tsu-Oh 
Carnival  in  1910,  Kate,  married  in  1911  to  Victor  Hugo  Neuhaus,  and 
Lottie,  at  school. 

The  title  of  Colonel,  always  used  as  a  prefix  to  the  name  of  J. 
S.  Rice  was  honorably  earned.  In  1874  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Houston  Light  Guard  and  was  prominent  as  adjutant  in  the  first 
regiment  of  Texas  Militia  organized  after  the  war.  He  was  Captain 


334  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

panies  are  formed.  No  bank,  however  large,  can  afford  to  do 
the  work  done  by  a  trust  company,  simply  because  it  is  entirely 
beyond  its  sphere.  No  bank  can  act  as  a  guardian,  conserve  and 
invest  to  the  best  advantage  funds  left  in  trust  to  it,  and  then 
at  a  specified  time,  pay  over  the  money  to  its  legal  owners.  No 
bank  is  willing  to  act  as  escrow  agent,  trustee  under  contract, 
and  a  dozen  and  one  things  that  modern  business  developments 
require  shall  be  done.  It  is  for  such  things  as  these  that  the 
modern  trust  companies  are  formed.  The  trust  company  sup- 
plies a  double  need.  It  not  only  cares  for  and  conserves  estates 
placed  in  its  charge,  but  it  affords  a  source  from  which  may 
be  obtained  long  time  loans.  Usually  these  loans  are  made  for 
the  purpose  of  developing  and  improving,  intrinsically  valuable, 
property,  the  property  itself  being  taken  as  security  for  the 
payment  of  the  debt.  The  length  of  the  loan,  the  rate  of  inter- 
est paid  by  the  borrower  and  the  absolute  security  afforded  by 
the  property  held  as  collateral,  make  such  a  transaction  a  safe 
investment  on  the  part  of  the  trust  company,  while  the  com- 
paratively low  rate  of  interest  paid  by  the  borrower  and  the  long 
time  given  in  which  to  pay  back  the  loan  are  very  advantageous 
for  the  borrower.  A  bank  makes  its  money  by  lending  money  for 
a  short  time,  thus  turning  it  over  and  over  several  times  a  year, 
while  the  trust  company  makes  it  by  lending  its  money  on  long 
time  on  gilt-edge  real  estate  and  other  security.  Neither  infringes 
on  the  domain  of  the  other  and  each  is  benefitted,  directly  and 

of  the  Light  Guard  when  that  company  was  the  crack  military  company 
of  Texas.  He  was  Adjutant  General  of  the  First  Brigade  on  the  staff 
of  General  F.  W.  James,  and  was  chief  of  staff  for  Governor  Lawrence 
Sullivan  Ross. 

As  a  Mason  Mr.  Rice  is  a  member  of  the  local  lodge,  Chapter 
and  Commaniery  and  is  a  Shriner  of  El  Mina  Temple  of  Galveston. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  Hoo-Hoo  orders.  He  is  an 
ex-president  of  the  Thalian  Club,  a  member  of  the  Country  Club  and 
was  appointed  by  Governor  Campbell  as  one  of  the  San  Jacinto 
Battle  Ground  Commissioners  and  has  done  much  toward  the 
beautifying  of  that  historic  battlefield.  In  1905  he  was  King  of  the 
No-Tsu-Oh  carnival. 

The  business  career  of  J.  S.  Rice  has  been  uniformly  brilliant 
and  successful.  Following  his  graduation  at  the  Texas  Military 
Institute  at  Austin  he  became  a  railroad  clerk  in  the  office  of  the 
general  passenger  agent  of  the  H.  &  T.  C.  road.  In  1879,  he  became 
bookkeeper  and  teller  of  the  National  Exchange  Bank  of  Houston. 
In  1881  he  and  a  brother,  William  M.  Rice  who  is  now  a  resident  of 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  335 

indirectly,  by  the  existence  of  the  other.  It  may  be  said  that 
the  presence  of  strong  banks  in  a  community  is  an  evidence  of 
its  financial  and  commercial  importance,  while  the  presence  of 
trust  companies  is  an  evidence  of  the  material  growth,  expansion 
and  development  of  that  community.  The  banks  make  and 
attract  money  while  the  trust  companies  invest  the  money  direct- 
ly in  permanent  improvements  or  in  such  things  that  lead  to 
permanent  improvements.  The  phenomenal  growth  of  Houston 
during  the  last  ten  years,  has  created  a  demand  for  and  has 
led  to  the  formation  of  trust  companies  here,  and  today  the  city 
has  some  of  the  strongest  institutions  of  the  kind  in  the  South. 
The  Houston  Land  and  Trust  Company  is  the  parent  organization 
of  the  kind  here,  and,  unlike  its  successors,  it  was  organized  dur- 
ing the  blackest  and  apparently  the  most  hopeless  period  of 
Houston's  history — the  reconstruction  days  of  1875.  It  was 
originally  chartered  as  a  land  and  trust  company  without  bank- 
ing privileges.  It  did  only  a  small  and  unimportant  business  for 
many  years,  but  in  1889,  it  was  reorganized  for  the  purpose  of 
doing  a  regular  trust  and  mortgage  business.  Since  then  it 
has  been  an  active  and  potent  factor  in  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  Houston  and  the  surrounding  territory.  It  receives 
deposits  on  time  certificates  of  deposit,  lends  money  on  city  real 
estate,  bonds  and  stocks  and  acts  in  the  capacity  of  executor, 
administrator,  guardian  and  trustee  in  the  management  of  estates. 
It  does  a  strictly  trust  business  and  in  no  way  encroaches  on 
the  business  done  by  the  banks. 

Houston  and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  William  M.  Rice  Institute, 
entered  into  the  saw  mill  business  in  Tyler  County.  In  1895  he  was 
made  financial  agent  of  the  Texas  State  Penitentiary  which  post  he 
held  until  he  was,  in  1899,  appointed  by  Governor  Sayers  as 
superintendent  of  the  Texas  State  Penal  System.  He  resigned  in 
1902  to  devote  his  attention  to  the  banking  business  in  Houston. 
Prom  1904  to  1909  he  was  one  of  the  receivers  of  the  Kirby  Lumber 
Company  and  was  elected  vice-president  of  that  company  on  its 
reorganization.  In  August,  1905,  he  became  president  of  the  Union 
Bank  and  Trust  Company,  now  the  Union  National  Bank  with  a 
capital  stock  of  $1,000,000.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  Bankers  Trust  Company,  vice-president  of  the  J.  S.  and  W.  M. 
Rice  Lumber  Company,  director  of  the  Guarantee  Life  Insurance 
Company,  and  director  of  the  T.  &  B.  V.  Railroad  and  many  other 
concerns.  With  all  this  Mr.  Rice  is  genial,  accessible,  democratic- 
and  popular. 


336  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

The  capital  stock  of  the  company  is  $250,000  and  the  surplus 
and  undivided  profits  amounted  to  $318,614.63  on  June  30,  1911, 
which  was  an  increase  of  $68,614.63  over  the  previous  twelve 
months.  The  company  owns  a  five-story  building,  occupying  the 
whole  lower  floor,  and  devoting  the  other  floors  to  offices.  Its 
officers  are:  0.  L.  Cochran,  president;  R.  E.  Paine  and  P.  B. 
Timpson,  vice-presidents ;  W.  S.  Patton,  secretary  and  treasurer ; 
O.  R.  "Weyrich,  assistant  secretary. 

The  Texas  Trust  Company  was  organized  under  the  state 
banking  laws,  on  July  12,  1909,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000. 
During  the  two  years  of  its  existence  it  has  been  remarkably  suc- 
cessful. It  has  endeavored  to  establish  for  itself  the  reputation 
of  being  conservative  and  has  accepted  only  the  most  promising 
propositions  to  finance.  This  course  has  been  beneficial  both  to 
the  company  and  to  those  concerns  approved  by  it,  for  its  indorse- 
ment of  a  concern,  through  its  services  as  trustee  or  registrar, 
is  a  stamp  of  approval  that  has  weight  with  the  public.  The 
company  has  made  money  from  the  day  it  opened  its  doors,  and 
while  a  10  per  cent  dividend  has  been  maintained,  the  profits 
now  foot  up  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  The  officers 
of  the  company  are :  Jesse  H.  Jones,*  president ;  James  A.  Baker, 
J.  S.  Rice,  C.  G.  Pillot,  S.  F.  Carter,  J.  M.  Rockwell,  N.  E. 
Meador,  John  L.  Wortham,  vice-presidents;  Fred  J.  Heyne, 
cashier  and  secretary;  Burke  Baker,  assistant  cashier  and  bond 
officer.  This  trust  company  is  to  consolidate  with  the  Bankers 
Trust  Company  in  September,  1911. 

*The  name  of  Jesse  H.  Jones,  multi-millionaire,  lumberman, 
banker  and  capitalist,  stands  for  progress  in  Houston  and  Texas,  so 
successful  are  the  many  projects  of  this  young  financier,  and  so  wide- 
spread his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  commonwealth,  that  he  occupies 
a  unique  position  in  public  esteem  in  Houston. 

The  executive  offices  held  by  Mr.  Jones  indicate  to  some  extent 
his  prominence  and  activity  in  the  business  world.  He  is  president 
of,  and  controls  many  successful  corporations,  most  of  them  organized 
and  established  by  him  in  his  short  score  of  business  years. 

He  is  president  of  the  Jesse  H.  Jones  Lumber  Company,  the 
South  Texas  Lumber  Company  and  the  Southern  Loan  &  Investment 
Company;  is  chairman  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Bankers 
Trust  Company,  the  largest  Banking  institution  in  Texas;  is  vice- 
president  and  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  The  Union 
National  Bank;  is  a  director  of  the  Houston  &  Texas  Central  Railroad, 


336 


ry  of  TJ  Texas 


and 

•ver  floor. 
4b«i 

hanking  laws,  on 
Daring  the  two  year* 
cessful.    It  has  end*1  • 
of  being 
propositi' 


:  any  is  $250,000  and  the  surplus 

:  18,614.63  on  June  30,  1911, 

k63  over  the  previous  twelve 

'-story  building,  occupying  the 

ng  the  other  floors  to  offices.     Its 

ident;  R.  E.  Paine  and  P.  B. 

n,  secretary  and  treasurer; 


•rganized  under  the  state 
'.  with  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000. 
lias  been  remarkably  suc- 
u  for  itself  the  reputation 
.  only  the  most  promising 
•'!:is  course  has  been  beneficial  both  to 
the  company  approved  by  it,  for  its  indorse- 

ment of  trh  its  services  as  trustee  or  registrar, 

is  a  stariii  weight  with  the  public.     The 

company  from  the  day  it  opened  its  doors,  and 

while  a  1  >Jend  has  been  maintained,  the  profits 

now  foot  <rter  of  a  million  dollars.    The  officers 

of  the  company  are.  Jesse  II.  Jt D,-S,*  president;  James  A.  Baker, 
J.  S.  Rice,  l  8.  1        arter,  J.  M.  Rockwell,  N,  E. 

Meador,   John   L.   Wortham,    vi      presidents;   Fred   J.   Heyne, 
cashier  and  secre'  ^r,  assistant  cashier  and  bond 

officer.    This  trust  company  is  ».>  consolidate  with  the  Bankers 
Trust  Company  in  S  '  I. 

*The    name    of    Jesse    H.    Jo: « n.    multi-millionaire,    lumberman, 
banker  and  capitalist,  stands  for 
successful  are  the  many  projects 
spread  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  t 
a  unique  position  in  pv 

The  executive  offi 
his  prominence  and  a<  • 
of,  and  controls  many  p; 
and  established  by  hint 

He   is   president   of 
South  Texas  Lumber  Corapa 
Company;    is   chairman   of    :•>;«•    board   of   directors   of   the   Bankers 
Trust  Company,   the  !;•  stitution   in  Texas;    is  vice- 

president  and  a  memb  rutive  committee  of  The  Union 

National  Bank;  is  a  dirt  ouston  &  Texas  Central  Railroad, 


^s  in  Houston  and  Texas,  so 
voung  financier,  and  so  wide- 
monwealth, that  he  occupies 

em  .  <   Houston. 

Jones  indicate  to  some  extent 
ness  world.  He  is  president 
;i>ns,  most  of  them  organized 

short  score  of  business  years. 
M    i      Jones   Lumber   Company,   the 

nnd  th     Southern  Loan  &  Investment 


338  History  of  Houston,  Texan 

S.  Durham  is  assistant  secretary  and  treasurer ;  "William  Malone 
is  manager  of  the  real  estate  department ;  E.  L.  Grain  is  assistant 
manager  of  the  real  estate  department  and  W.  S.  Bailey  is 
counsel. 

The  American  Trust  Company  is  the  baby  of  Houston 
trusts,  being  born  in  1911.  Its  capital  stock  is  $500,000.  The 
company  is  located  in  quarters  formerly  occupied  by  the  Tinker 
Bank  and  Trust  Company,  which  were  originally  fitted  up  for 
the  American  National  Bank.  It  is  chartered  under  the  banking 
laws  of  the  state  to  do  a  regular  trust  company  business.  Monta 
J.  IVfeore  is  president,  and  N.  B.  Sligh  is  treasurer. 

The  foregoing  gives,  briefly,  the  history  of  each  of  the  banks 
and  trust  companies  of  Houston,  but  a  better  idea  of  Houston's 
importance  as  a  financial  center,  and  what  is  of  the  greatest 
importance  and  interest,  the  phenomenal  growth  of  these  insti- 
tutions as  a  whole,  may  be  formed  by  studying  the  following 
condensation  of  the  statement  of  the  Houston  banks  and  trust 
companies  issued  June  30,  1911 :  Total  capital  stock,  $6,670,000. 
This  was  an  increase  over  the  stock  of  the  previous  year  of 
$950,000.  Surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $3,772,440.36  which  was 
an  increase  over  the  previous  year  of  $969,302.56.  Deposits 
subject  to  check,  $31,613,594.16,  which  was  an  increase  over  the 
year  before  of  $969,668.19.  Cash  on  hand  and  with  other  banks, 

will  represent  an  investment,  when  completed,  of  two  and  one-half 
million  dollars. 

Jesse  H.  Jones  was  born  April  5th,  1874,  in  Robertson  County, 
Tennessee.  His  father,  William  H.  Jones,  was  an  honored  and 
successful  farmer  and  tobacco  exporter,  and  his  mother  before  her 
marriage  was  Miss  Ann  Holman,  of  one  of  the  old  Tennessee 
families. 

In  appearance,  Mr.  Jones  has  the  unmistakable  stamp  of  one 
well  born  and  bred,  possessing  dignity  and  reserve;  his'  clear  grey 
eyes  bespeak  the  born  financier;  his  personality  combines  a  masterful 
foresight  and  business  shrewdness,  with  a  kindly  consideration 
for  his  fellow  man.  He  is  also  endowed  with  a  generous  fund  of 
good  nature,  and  that  greatest  of  blessings — a  contented  spirit. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  years,  Jesse  Jones  left  his  father's  farm 
where  his  boyhood  days  were  spent,  and  started  out  to  see  what 
was  in  store  for  him  in  the  walks  of  life.  He  came  to  Texas,  stopping 
four  years  in  Dallas,  where  he  worked  in  his  uncle's  lumber  yard. 
Upon  the  death  of  his  uncle,  M.  T.  Jones,  he  came  to  Houston  and 
assumed  the  management  of  the  M.  T.  Jones  Lumber  Company, 
which  business  he  managed  very  successively,  and  closed  up  in  1906, 
agreeable  to  the  will  of  his  deceased  uncle. 


Board  of  Trade  and  Banks  339 

$13,859,279.64.  Showing  an  increase  over  the  year  before  of 
$771,008.46.  Loans  and  discounts,  $27,297,166.64,  which  also 
was  an  increase  of  $2,790,607.47  over  the  previous  year. 

The  business  of  the  banks  is  facilitated  by  the  Houston  Clear- 
ing House.  Its  methods  are  identical  with  clearing  houses  else- 
where. Its  manager  for  the  past  twenty-one  years  has  been 
Mr.  E.  Raphael,  the  only  male  survivor  of  the  Raphael  family 
that  came  to  Houston  in  1860.  At  13  years  of  age  Mr.  Raphael 
began  business  life  as  a  telegraph  operator  at  a  salary  of  $10  a 
month.  When  he  was  14  years  old  he  was  the  operator  at  Liberty, 
Texas,  from  which  point  he  telegraphed  to  Houston  the  news  of 
the  celebrated  battle  of  Sabine  Pass.  It  was  to  Mr.  Raphael  who 
has  always  been  interested  in  school  work  that  William  M.  Rice 
first  confided  his  intention  to  endow  an  institute  for  the  benefit 
of  Houston  and  he  was  the  first  man  named  as  a  life  trustee  of 
that  school. 

Since  then  he  has  been  operating — and  very  successfully  so — 
on  his  own  account,  in  real  estate,  lumber  and  banking — three  very 
substantial  lines  of  business,  any  one  of  which  is  big  enough  to 
occupy  the  undivided  attention  of  most  men,  yet  Mr.  Jones  succeeds 
in  all  of  them. 

His  friends  say  he  works  too  hard,  but  he  seems  to  have  time 
for  church  and  school  building,  and  for  all  kinds  of  charity  and 
benevolent  work.  He  goes  abroad  occasionally,  spends  much  time 
in  New  York,  and  wins  a  golf  trophy  once  in  a  while. 

He  inherited  four  thousand  dollars  from  his  father's  estate  in 
1895,  the  year  he  attained  his  majority,  and  is  worth  as  many 
millions  now — just  sixteen  years  later. 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  all  of  the  clubs  in  Houston,  and  of  the 
Sleepy  Hollow  Country  Club,  at  Scarboro-on-the-Hudson,  just  out  of 
New  York,  said  to  be  the  richest  and  finest  country  club  in  America. 

The  church  membership  of  Mr.  Jones  is  in  St.  Paul's  Methodist 
Church,  Houston,  and  he  contributed  liberally  to  the  Southwestern 
University  at  Georgetown,  in  commemoration  of  the  memory  of  his 
deceased  friend,  Bishop  Seth  Ward. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Houston's  Manufacturers 


Primitive  Beginnings.  Natural  Advantages  Offered.  The 
First  Mills.  Advent  of  Co1  ton  Compress.  Coming  of  Iron 
Foundries.  Revival  of  Manufacturing  Following  the  Civil 
War.  First  Ice  Plants.  Packing  Plants.  Conditions  from 
1880  to  1890.  Car  Wheel  Shops.  Electric  Lights.  Cotton 
Seed  Products.  Textile  Mills.  Furniture  and  Other  Wood- 
working Plants.  Manufacturing  in  1905.  Coffee  Roasting- 
Launch  Building.  Manufacturing  Statistics.  Fuel  and 
Water.  Home  Products  Banquet. 


So  fundamental  a  process  is  manufacturing  that  it  is  hard 
to  say  just  where  it  begins.  The  housewife  who  sets  yeast,  raises 
dough  and  bakes  bread,  is  a  manufacturer.  The  dairy  maid  who 
operates  a  churn  dasher  in  a  cylinder  of  sweet  milk,  is  also  one, 
and  the  farmer  who  swings  an  axe  to  cut  down  a  sapling  in  a 
forest  to  make  a  rail  fence  is  a  manufacturer.  Manufactured 
means  handmade  although  by  a  curious  reversal  of  language  it 
is  generally  used  in  the  sense  of  machine  made.  Even  in  the 
latter  sense  who  shall  say  that  a  pocket  knife,  a  wheelbarrow  or 
a  churn  is  not  machinery. 

Manufacturing  perhaps  began  in  Houston  with  the  dug 
out  canoe  that  some  Indian  made  and  put  in  the  bayou  at  the 
site  of  the  city.  The  first  advertisement  of  that  city,  which  was 
the  one  announcing  its  existence,  promised  a  water  saw  mill  and 
manufacturing  in  the  stricter  sense  began  with  such  a  saw  mill. 
It  followed  the  usual  course  of  development. 

A  saw  mill,  a  corn  mill,  a  blacksmith  shop,  a  butcher's  shop, 
a  beef  factory,  bakers'  shops,  molasses  mills — those  enterprises 
in  short  that  are  necessary  to  turn  raw  products  into  food  and 
shelter  and  clothes — for  the  old-fashioned  spinning  wheel  in 


Houston's  Manufacturers  341 

many  a  home  was  one  of  the  earliest  machines  for  manufacture — 
with  these  manufacturing  began. 

From  such  simple  beginnings,  the  city's  manufacturing 
interests  have  grown  until  it  is  possible  to  supply  aljnost  any 
want  from  things  "made  in  Houston." 

Car  wheels  or  locomotives,  automobiles  or  pianos,  wooden  legs 
or  bust  developers,  and  hundreds  of  other  things  are  now  made 
here. 

According  to  the  United  States  census  report  of  1911, 
Houston  has  249  manufactures,  employing  5,338  persons,  to 
whom  are  paid  yearly  $3,424,000.  These  figures  are  gratifying, 
in  a  way,  but  when  one  looks  over  the  situation  as  it  exists  in 
and  immediately  around  Houston,  one  cannot  refrain  from  aston- 
ishment on  finding  that  there  are  comparatively  so  few  manu- 
facturing concerns  in  such  an  inviting  field.  It  is  no  exaggera- 
tion to  say  that  few  points  anywhere  have  so  many  inducements 
to  offer  the  would-be  manufacturer  as  Houston. 

Aside  from  its  advantages  as  a  distributing  and  concentrat- 
ing point,  Houston  has  at  its  very  door  everything  that  a  man- 
ufacturer needs  except,  perhaps,  some  kinds  of  raw  material. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  artesian  water  and  an  inexhaustable 
supply  of  cheap  fuel,  Houston  being  on  the  border  of  the  great 
oil  fields  of  Texas.  It  has  both  rail  and  water  transportation 
to  and  from  the  outside  world.  It  is  already  the  great  railway 
center  of  the  Southwest  and  it  will  unquestionably  become  in 
the  very  near  future  the  great  manufacturing  center  as  well.  So 
rich  and  inviting  a  field  cannot  be  overlooked.  It  must  not  be 
supposed  that  the  Houstonians  are  not  proud  of  what  they  are 
able  to  show  today  in  the  way  of  factories  and  machine  shops. 
Such  is,  not  the  case  by  any  means.  Two  hundred  and  forty-nine 
manufacturing  plants  for  a  city  of  only  100,000  inhabitants  is  a 
fair  showing  and  would  be  such  for  a  city  twice  its  size.  There 
is,  however,  a  feeling  of  healthy  unrest  created  when  one  sees 
what  can  and  should  be  done  in  so  great  a  field.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  the  figures  given  in  the  foregoing  statement  are,  in  a  way, 
misleading,  for,  were  the  railroad  and  repair  shops  of  the  rail- 
roads included  in  them,  they  would  be  increased  by  over  3,000 


342  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

employees  and  wages  by  the  addition  of  over  one  and  a  quarter 
million  dollars. 

Unquestionably  the  earliest  large  manufactory  in  Harris 
County  was  that  of  Robert  Wilson,  father  of  the  late  Mayor 
James  T.  D.  "Wilson.  Mr.  Wilson  came  to  Texas  in  1828,  and  soon 
after  his  arrival,  he  erected  at  Harrisburg,  on  Buffalo  Bayou, 
an  extensive  steam  sawmill,  gristmill,  blacksmith,  carpenter, 
turning  and  other  workshops,  and  houses  for  the  workmen.  When 
Harrisburg  was  burned  by  the  Mexicans  these  were  all  destroyed. 
Soon  after  independence  was  secured  and  Texas  had  become  a 
Republic  someone  built  a  sawmill  at  the  junction  of  Bray's  and 
Buffalo  Bayous,  and  for  many  years  this  mill  did  a  large  business, 
turning  out  much  of  the  timber  with  which  early  Houston  was 
built.  Some  time  in  the  middle  forties,  a  large  sawmill  was  built 
on  the  bayou  in  Houston  at  a  point  near  where  the  Milam  Street 
bridge  now  stands.  Its  location  was  admirable,  for  it  was  easy 
to  float  the  logs  to  the  mill,  either  from  up  or  down  the  stream. 
The  first  cornmill  was  built  in  1844  by  Mr.  Elim  Stockbridge,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  bayou  not  far  from  the  ford  of  that  day  at 
the  foot  of  Texas  Avenue.  The  motive  power  was  three  oxen 
that  walked  on  a  tread  mill.  It  was  considered  a  wonder  and  the 
Morning  Star  boasted  that  in  a  steady  days  work  it  could  grind 
fifty  bushels  of  corn.  The  whole  cost  of  the  mill,  not  counting 
the  motive  power,  was  $400. 

The  advent  of  the  cotton  compress  in  Houston  is  thus  chroni- 
cled by  the  Morning  Star  in  its  issue  of  March  11,  1844 :  "A  few 
days  ago  we  visited  the  cotton  press  lately  erected  in  this  city  by 
Mr.  N.  T.  Davis,  and  were  agreeably  surprised  to  find  that  the 
machine  used  for  compressing  cotton  bales  admirably  answers  the 
purposes  for  which  it  was  constructed.  With  the  aid  of  only  two 
hands,  Mr.  Davis  can  compress  a  bale  of  500  pounds  into  a  space 
only  22  inches  square  (sic)  in  15  minutes.  The  facility  with 
which  this  work  is  done  is  truly  surprising." 

Since  the  best  modern  compresses  turn  out  a  500  pound  bale 
of  cotton  containing  22  cubic  feet,  it  is  evident  that  the  editor 
of  the  Star  got  his  notes  mixed  and  that  the  size  of  the  early  bale 
was  somewhat  greater  than  22  inches  square.  It  is  interesting 


Houston's  Manufacturers  343 

to  note  the  advance  that  has  been  made  in  the  compress  since  that 
first  one  was  erected.  Mr.  Davis  could  turn  out  four  bales  to  the 
hour,  or  working  steadily  for  ten  hours,  he  could  turn  out  forty 
bales  in  a  day.  Those  were  what  are  called  today  "flat,"  or 
uncompressed  bales  of  about  three  times  the  size  of  the  modern 
compressed  bales.  Houston  now  has  six  compresses,  each  one 
capable  of  compressing  from  100  to  120  bales  per  hour,  or  from 
1,000  to  1,200  bales  per  day  and  their  combined  capacity  is  8,700 
bales  per  day,  and  in  the  height  of  the  busy  season,  when  they 
are  worked  night  and  day,  they  turn  out  over  17,000  compressed 
bales  every  twenty-four  hours. 

These  are  the  following  named,  a  more  detailed  description 
of  each  being  given  elsewhere  in  these  pages : 

The  Cleveland  Compress  Company,  W.  D.  Cleveland,  Sr., 
president.  This  is  practically  a  successor  to  the  Buffalo  Bayou 
Compress  Company,  organized  in  1895,  with  A.  J.  Burke,  presi- 
dent; W.  D.  Cleveland,  vice-president  and  F.  A.  Rice,  secretary. 
Magnolia  "Warehouse  and  Storage  Company,  A.  C.  Cairns,  mana- 
ger. The  Merchants  Compress  Company,  John  K.  Sanfers,  presi- 
dent. Union  Compress  and  Warehouse  Company,  A.  Breyer, 
president.  The  Southern  Compress  and  Warehouse  Company, 
W.  W.  Sellers,  manager.  The  Standard  Compress  Company,  M. 
E.  Andrews,  general  manager. 

Mr.  Alexander  McGowan  established  an  iron  foundry  and 
machine  shop  on  the  north  side  of  Buffalo  Bayou  and  on  the 
banks  of  White  Oak  Bayou  about  1851.  These  shops  were  at  a 
point  about  opposite  the  foot  of  Louisiana  Street,  though  two  or 
three  blocks  on  the  other  side  of  the  bayou.  The  principal  work 
done  here  at  first  was  in  making  boilers  and  casting  kettles  for 
the  sugar  planters  and  others  who  were  opening  up  plantations. 
In  1854,  after  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad  began 
operation,  McGowan 's  foundry  and  machine  shop  became  quite 
an  important  concern,  and  did  a  great  deal  of  repair  work  for 
that  road. 

Four  or  five  years  afterwards,  Mr.  Cushman  established  the 
Cushman  Foundry  and  Machine  Shops  on  the  north  side  of 
Buffalo  Bayou  near  the  Preston  Avenue  bridge,  called  in  that 


344  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

day  the  ' '  long  bridge. ' '  Cushman  's  foundry  and  machine  shops 
were  quite  extensive  affairs  and  covered  an  acre  or  two  of 
ground.  There  was  a  foundry  where  castings  were  made,  a 
pattern  shop,  a  machine  shop  and  everything  that  went  to  make 
a  complete  establishment  of  its  kind.  Mr.  Cushman  had  quite 
a  number  of  skilled  mechanics  for  each  of  the  departments,  and 
was  doing  a  good  business  when  the  war  broke  out.  nearly 
every  man  in  his  employ  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  Army. 
This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  him  for  it  left  him  with  a  large  and 
expensive  plant  on  his  hands  and  no  men  to  work  it.  He  was 
a  man  of  fine  courage  and  was  not  easily  discouraged.  He  made 
the  necessary  changes  and  modifications  in  his  machinery,  and 
changed  his  plant  into  one  for  the  manufacture  of  war  materials, 
which  the  Confederacy  soon  began  to  need  badly.  He  cast 
bombshells,  cannon,  grapeshot,  and  everything  of  that  kind  and 
added  to  his  plant  a  machine  for  the  manufacture  of  percussion 
caps.  The  commanding  general  of  this  military  department 
detailed  all  the  mechanics  Mr.  Cushman  needed  and  Cushman 's 
Foundry  soon  became  one  of  the  busiest  and  most  important 
places  in  the  state.  After  the  war,  Mr.  Cushman  converted  his 
plant  back  to  its  original  purposes.  A  few  years  later  the  firm 
name  was  changed  to  "Wiggins,  Smith  &  Simpson,  though  Mr. 
Cushman  retained  and  his  son  still  owns  and  operates  a  pattern 
shop  and  necessary  adjuncts  on  part  of  the  ground  occupied 
by  the  old  plant. 

The  Hartwell  Iron  Works,  another  large  concern  was  organ- 
ized about  1878-9  and  has  been  in  active  operation  ever  since. 
It  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  efficient  concerns  of  its  kind  in 
the  city  and  does  a  large  foundry  and  machine  shop  business. 
It  manufactures  boilers,  makes  heavy  castings  and  does  a  large 
business  in  iron  work  of  all  kinds. 

In  1873,  the  Bagby  Brass  Works  were  established  by  Mr. 
William  Bagby.  These  were  the  first  brass  works  established 
here.  They  were  owned  and  operated  by  Mr.  Bagby  and  did 
a  large  business.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  energy  and  had 
he  lived  the  brass  works  would  unquestionably  have  been  made 
a  big  concern.  Unfortunately  he  died  while  in  the  prime  of  life, 


Houston's  Manufacturers  345 

and  for  some  reason,  his  family  closed  the  works  and  they  were 
never  reopened.  There  are  two  brass  works  here  now,  each 
doing  a  good  business.  These  are :  the  Kettler  Brass  Works,  M. 
F.  Kettler,  president  and  manager,  and  the  Southern  Brass  and 
Manufacturing  and  Plating  Company,  T.  C.  White,  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  manager. 

In  addition  to  the  foundries  and  iron  works  named  in  the 
foregoing  there  are  the  following,  all  established  within  recent 
years,  but  all  now  on  a  firm  and  safe  footing :  The  Grant  Loco- 
motive and  Car  Works,  The  Houston  Structural  Steel  Works, 
The  Union  Iron  Works,  Bayou  City  Iron  Works,  Hewitt  Man- 
ufacturing Company,  Houston  Iron  Works,  Layne  and  Bolder, 
Lloyd  Metal  Company,  F.  H.  Ries.  These  are  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  iron  work,  from  the  delicate  wire 
screen  to  the  most  ponderous  castings  and  heaviest  machinery. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  no  industry  in  the  city  is  more 
thoroughly  developed  than  that  of  the  machine  shops  and  foun- 
dries. One  large  line  developed  by  them  is  the  manufacture  of 
engines  and  boilers.  The  development  that  has  taken  place  in 
so  many  industries  has  created  a  demand  for  engines  of  many 
and  varied  types,  which  demand  has  been  met  by  local  manu- 
facturers. There  are  ample  facilities  for  all  kinds  of  work,  and 
engines  are  turned  out,  from  the  small  gasoline  engine  to  the 
huge'  locomotive  for  railroad  use.  Recently  one  piece  of  machin- 
ery, weighing  75,000  pounds,  was  cast  and  shipped  to  Honolulu 
by  one  of  the  Houston  foundries.  As  noted  elsewhere  in  these 
pages,  the  two  Houston  railroad  shops,  each  have  facilities  for 
making  one  complete  locomotive  each  day. 

The  first  artificial  ice  manufactured  in  Houston  was  at  an 
ice  plant  established  by  Doctor  Pearl,  who  had  as  his  associates 
two  young  Englishmen,  both  former  captains  in  the  English 
army,  but  who  had  sold  their  commissions  and  had  come  to  Texas 
to  make  their  fortunes.  One  was  Captain  Kentish,  and  the 
other,  Captain  Spencer,  a  nephew  of  Earl  Spencer  who  was 
Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland.  The  ice  plant  was  not  a  great  suc- 
cess from  a  financial  point  of  view  and  in  1871,  two  years  after 
its  establishment  it  closed  down  for  good.  When  the  plant  was 


346  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

first  established  it  was  Doctor  Pearl's  intention  to  have  a  meat 
packery  attachment,  but  that  part  of  the  plan  was  never  carried 
out. 

For  nine  years  after  the  establishment  of  the  Pearl  plant  no 
effort  was  made  to  establish  another  factory.  Then,  in  1880, 
the  Central  Ice  Company  was  organized.  This  company  took  out 
a  charter  under  the  name  of  the  Houston  Ice  Company.  Mr. 
Hugh  Hamilton  was  its  chief  owner  and  the  machinery  was  an 
abandoned  ice  machine.  For  a  number  of  years  it  confined  its 
operation  to  making  ice  alone  but  in  1888  it  took  out  a  new 
charter  under  the  name  of  the  Magnolia  Ice  and  Brewing  Asso- 
ciation, which  charter  was  again  changed  to  the  Houston  Ice 
and  Brewing  Company  in  1901,  under  which  name  it  is  now 
known.  Its  business  is  very  large,  for  it  manufactures  large 
quantities  of  beer  and  ice  which  are  distributed  to  all  parts  of 
the  state. 

The  American  Brewing  Company,  another  large  concern, 
manufacturing  both  beer  and  ice,  was  chartered  in  1894.  Its 
president  and  principal  owner  is  A.  Busch  of  St.  Louis.  It,  too, 
does  an  immense  ice  and  beer  business,  shipping  its  products 
to  all  parts  of  the  state. 

There  are  several  other  ice  manufacturers  in  Houston,  the 
leading  ones  being  the  Houston  Packing  Company,  Mr.  H.  Kirk- 
land,  president;  the  Henry  Henke  Artesian  Ice  and  Refriger- 
ating Company,  Mr.  H.  Henke,  president;  the  Crystal  Ice  and 
Fuel  Company,  Mr.  Charles  A.  Zilker,  president;  the  Irvin  Ice 
Factory,  "W.  H.  Irvin,  proprietor. 

As  noted,  an  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  packery  by  the 
Pearl  Ice  Manufacturing  Company,  but  without  success.  After 
the  failure  of  the  ice  plant,  Mr.  E.  W.  Taylor  and  associates 
bought  some  of  the  machinery  and,  in  1875,  established  a  pack- 
ery here  which  was  soon  followed  by  another  conducted  by  M  r. 
Geiselman.  Both  of  these  establishments  did  a  fairly  good 
business  for  a  year  or  two  and  then  ceased  operation.  The  fail- 
ure was  due  largely  to  their  being  somewhat  in  advance  of  the 
times  and  to  lack  of  transportation  facilities  and  a  broad  market. 

In  1894,  the  first  really  great  step  was  taken  in  that  direc- 


Houston's  Manufacturers  347 

tion  by  the  establishment  of  the  Houston  Packing  Company's 
plant  in  this  city.  This  is  the  largest  independent  packing 
house  in  the  United  States,  and  its  plant  is  an  immense  one, 
covering  many  acres.  It  is  absolutely  modern  and  up-to-date 
in  its  every  detail.  Its  output  is  of  the  highest  standard  and 
its  business  is  approximately  $4,000,000  annually.  In  addition 
to  its  regular  packing  house  products,  those  known  as  staple,  it 
manufactures  numerous  by-products,  for  the  disposition  of  which 
branch  offices  are  maintained  at  numerous  trade  centers  through- 
out the  South  and  West.  Mr.  W.  H.  Kirkland  is  president  of  this 
company  and  Mr.  E.  W.  Grundler  is  its  secretary. 

Both  the  Swift  and  Armour  companies  maintained  agencies 
in  Houston  for  a  number  of  years,  but  the  field  was  so  inviting 
that  in  1904  the  Swift  Company  established  its  own  branch 
here,  buying  property  and  putting  up  a  building  of  its  own, 
where  it  is  doing  a  large  and  very  satisfactory  business  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Thomas  W.  Johnson. 

The  Armour  Company  has  just  completed  the  erection  of 
its  plant  here  and  is  also  doing  an  immense  business  under  the 
management  of  Mr.  Felix  Tachior.  Neither  the  Swift,  nor  the 
Armour  Company  does  any  slaughtering  here,  but  each  does  a 
large  business  in  packing  meats,  manufacturing  lard,  refining  oil, 
making  soap  and  other  packing  house  by-products. 

There  are  agencies  here  for  all  the  great  packing  houses 
in  the  United  States,  this  giving  evidence  of  Houston's  impor- 
tance as  a  distributing  center. 

In  the  early  seventies,  one  of  the  most  useful  establishments 
in  the  city  was  the  Henry  House  Sash  Factory  and  Planing  Mill. 
There  were  several  iron  foundries  and  machine  shops,  those  of 
McGowan,  Lord  &  Richardson,  Wiggins,  Smith  &  Simpson  and 
other  smaller  concerns.  There  were  two  or  three  sheetiron 
and  tinners  establishments,  two  wagon  factories,  a  soda  water 
manufactory,  a  cigar  factory,  a  furniture  factory  and  other 
small  industrial  plants,  which  have  all  served  as  foundations 
for  the  greater  ones  that  have  been  built  on  them. 

By  1885  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Houston  had  grown 
to  rather  large  proportions,  and  the  business  done  was  of  con- 


348  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

siderable  magnitude.  There  were  two  extensive  brick  yards  that 
were  turning  out  millions  of  bricks  annually  and  the  demand 
was  in  excess  of  the  supply.  There  were  two  iron  and  brass 
foundries.  These  foundries  turned  out  steam  engines,  boilers, 
compresses,  gins,  mill  supplies,  machinery  and  all  kinds  of  cast- 
ings and  shipped  them  to  all  parts  of  the  state.  Th6re  were 
five  cotton  compresses  and  a  large  flour  mill  with  a  capacity  of 
400  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  This  mill  failed  in  1894  and  has 
never  been  resumed. 

Another  large  industry  was  the  Howard  Oil  Company  that 
operated  mills  at  Houston,  Palestine  and  Dallas,  with  the  princi- 
pal works  located  at  Houston,  just  beyond  the  city  limits  at  the 
crossing  of  the  Central  and  Southern  Pacific  lines.  At  this  mill 
about  100  tons  of  cotton  seed  were  converted  into  oil  daily. 
Houston  developed  a  sweet  tooth  about  that  time,  for  the  three 
candy  manufacturers  turned  out  8,000  pounds  of  candy  daily. 
This  was  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  state.  The  Lone  Star  Barbed 
Wire  Factory  had  a  large  shop  in  the  Fifth  ward  and  its  pro- 
duct was  shipped  to  all  parts  of  Texas  and  of  the  Southwest. 

There  were  seven  planing  mills,  two  ice  factories,  five  carri- 
age and  wagon  factories,  a  manufacturing  drug  house,  two  soap 
factories,  two  artificial  stone  factories,  two  soda  and  mineral 
water  factories,  one  mattress  factory,  three  tank  and  barrel 
factories,  cigar  factories,  broom  factories,  lathing  works,  and  a 
large  number  of  smaller  industries,  representing  an  investment 
in  factories  of  $2,000,000. 

The  year  1887  was  a  bit  of  a  boom  year  for  Houston  manu- 
factories for  the  contemplated  establishment  of  many  new  indus- 
tries was  announced  early  in  the  year.  The  following  became 
realities  in  the  course  of  that  and  the  following  year : 

Howard  Oil  Mill  plant,  addition,  $200,000;  a  large  refrig- 
erating plant;  a  brewery  costing  $124,000;  Southern  Pacific 
Shops,  completed  at  a  cost  of  $250,000;  Union  Depot  to  cost 
$80,000 ;  car  wheel  factory  at  a  cost  of  $40,000 ;  a  bottling  works 
and  a  cracker  factory. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Shops,  the  car 
wheel  shop  mentioned  in  the  foregoing,  was  the  most  important 


Houston's  Manufacturers  349 

of  the  contemplated  industries.  These  works,  better  known  as 
the  Dickson.  Car  Wheel  Works,  had  a  most  humble  start.  When 
Mr.  Dickson  announced  that  he  intended  to  establish  such  an 
enterprise  in  Houston  he  was  laughed  at  and  the  idea  of  his 
seriously  contemplating  entering  into  competition  with  the  large 
and  old  established  concerns  of  the  East  was  ridiculed  even  by 
his  friends  and  best  wishers.  It  was  said  to  him  that  he  could 
not  make  wheels  equal  to  those  turned  out  by  the  old  and  experi- 
enced manufacturers,  and  admitting  that  he  could  do  so,  then  he 
could  never  get  the  railroads  to  use  his  wheels.  However,  Mr. 
Dickson  was  not  easily  discouraged.  He  had  faith  in  his  ability 
to  turn  out  good  wheels  and  to  get  the  railroads  to  use  them. 
He  started  with  very  little  capital,  and  with  a  small  plant.  He 
made  wheels  and  he  made  such  good  wheels  that  instead  of  the 
Eastern  concerns  running  him  out  of  the  business,  he  has  some- 
times run  them  out.  He  got  the  railroads  to  try  his  wheels.  They 
did  so  and  found  them  so  superior  to  all  others  that  they  ordered 
more  and  more  of  them,  until  today  the  Dickson  car  wheel  is 
known  all  over  the  country  as  equal  to  the  best  manufactured 
anywhere  and  Mr.  Dickson  has  had  to  add  several  times  to  his 
plant  to  keep  abreast  of  the  demand  for  his  wheels.  The  plant 
is  a  large  one  and  is  an  honor  to  its  founder  and  to  Houston  as 
well. 

The  Houston  Car  Wheel  and  Machine  Company  though 
comparatively  a  young  company,  having  been  established  in  the 
fall  of  1906,  is  doing  a  large  business  in  making  car  wheels,  and 
various  kinds  of  castings  and  machinery.  The  officers  and 
founders  of  this  company  are :  Jules  J.  Settegast,  Jr.,  president ; 
George  H.  Hermann,  vice-president;  A.  J.  Binz,  secretary-treas- 
urer. 

The  Houston  Electric  Light  Company  was  organized  in 
August,  1882,  and  its  first  officers  were :  E.  Raphael,  president 
and  D.  F.  Stuart,  secretary.  The  board  of  trustees  were :  A. 
Grosebeck,  B.  A.  Botts,  F.  A.  Rice,  E.  P.  Hill,  D.  F.  Stuart, 
J.  C.  Hutcherson,  G.  L.  Porter  and  E.  Raphael.  Only  the  old 
Brush  Carbon  lights  were  used.  Mr.  Raphael  exhibited  the  first 
incandescent  lamp  ever  seen  in  Houston  in  August,  1883.  Incan- 


350  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

descent  lamps  were  rare  at  that  time,  for  the  carbon  lamps  only, 
were  in  general  use.  As  soon  as  the  incandescent  lamp  was 
seen,  its  great  merits  were  recognized,  and  Mr.  Raphael  secured 
a  contract  to  put  the  lights  in  the  Howard  Oil  Mills.  He  fitted 
that  plant  with  incandescent  lamps,  and  it  was  the  first  incan- 
descent light  plant  installed  in  Texas.  After  a  few 
years'  experience  Mr.  Raphael  and  his  associates  sold 
their  electric  plant  to  the  Houston  Gas  Works.  That  com- 
pany, in  1894,  organized  the  present  Electric  company,  which 
is  changed  only  in  name,  being  the  same  organization,  under 
a  different  management,  as  the  Raphael  Company. 

While  Texas  is  the  greatest  cotton  producing  state  in  the 
world  and,  in  consequence,  the  greatest  producer  of  cotton  seed 
and  its  derivatives  also,  Houston  has  the  distinction  of  being  the 
greatest  producer  of  cotton  seed  products  in  Texas.  The  business 
is  very  large  and  is  constantly  growing,  for  Houston's  position 
as  a  receiving  and  distributing  point  give  her  advantages  that 
cannot  be  overcome,  or  even  approached  by  rival  cities.  With 
seventeen  railroads  to  bring  the  raw  material  here  and  with  the 
same  number  of  roads,  supplemented  by  the  ship  channel,  to  dis- 
tribute the  finished  products,  her  position  is  an  enviable  one. 

The  manufacturing  of  cotton  seed  products  is  carried  on  by 
six  large  oil  mills.  The  capital  invested  in  these  mills  is  $2,500,- 
000,  and  it  requires  over  700  men  to  operate  them.  These  mills 
constitute  a  very  important  part  of  Houston's  manufacturing 
interests.  The  crushing  capacity  of  the  mills  is  1,200  tons  daily 
and  last  season  they  used  more  than  82,000  tons  of  cotton  seed 
for  which  they  paid  the  farmers  of  the  state  about  $2,275,000. 
The  finished  products  of  the  mill  sold  for  $5,000,000.  The  Hous- 
ton mills  use  Texas  cotton  seed,  which  is  the  best  and  richest 
in  the  world,  the  cotton  seed  meal  of  other  states  having  only 
49  per  cent  of  protein  and  fat  combined,  while  that  of  Texas  has 
a  minimum  of  55  per  cent.  Hence  their  products  are  always  in 
demand  and  command  a  premium  in  the  markets  of  the  world. 

The  mills  in  Houston  are  the  Fidelity  Cotton  Oil  and  Fer- 
tilizer Company,  the  Merchants  and  Planters  Oil  Company,  the 
Magnolia  Cotton  Oil  Company,  the  Houston  Cotton  Oil  Com- 


Houston's  Manufacturers  351 

pany,  the  South  Texas  Cotton  Oil  Company  and  the  Industrial 
Cotton  Oil  Company.  Three  of  these  mills  have  each  a  refinery 
of  from  1,500  to  2,000  barrels  per  day  capacity. 

These  refineries  do  a  large  business,  because,  in  addition 
to  the  mills  in  Houston,  there  are  numerous  small  mills  in  the 
interior  of  the  state  that  ship  crude  oil  here  to  have  it  refined. 
About  75,000  barrels  of  crude  oil  were  brought  to  Houston  in 
1910  for  that  purpose.  Besides  the  various  departments  for 
manufacturing  refined  products  the  Fidelity  Cotton  Oil  and 
Fertilizer  Company  operates  a  fertilizer  factory,  which,  while 
in  competition  with  twenty  other  concerns  in  the  state  engaged 
in  the  same  business,  did  the  largest  business  of  them  all  last 
season.  This  company  maintains  an  experimental  farm  near 
its  plant  where  its  fertilizers  are  being  constantly  tested.  A 
scientific  study  of  soils  is  made  and  the  company  makes  fertilizers 
to  suit  various  kinds  of  soil,  and  also  for  various  kinds  of  crops. 
Their  work  in  this  way  is  practical,  scientific  and  valuable.  The 
company  turns  out  about  60,000  tons  of  fertilizers  each  year, 
which  is  distributed  generally  over  the  state. 

The  refined  products  of  the  cotton  seed  oil  are  lubricants, 
oleomargarine,  and  lard.  These  are  extensively  used  throughout 
the  country.  Besides  these,  a  food  is  being  made  to  take  the 
place  of  meat,  while  cotton  seed  flour  is  expected  to  become  a 
serious  rival  of  wheat  flour.  The  various  uses  to  which  cotton 
seed  products  may  be  put  are  already  great  and  the  number  is 
increasing  so  rapidly  that  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  before 
long  they  will  rival  those  of  the  wonderful  coal  tar  products. 
Only  a  few  years  ago  cotton  seed  was  a  source  of  annoyance  to 
every  cotton  raiser  who  owned  a  gin,  for  they  were  considered 
as  absolutely  valueless  and  their  accumulation  near  the  gins 
was  a  serious  embarrassment.  They  were  burned,  carted  away, 
and  everything  possible  was  done  to  get  rid  of  them. 

Then  some  genius  discovered  that  oil  could  be  extracted 
from  them  and  they  became  valuable.  Then  it  was  discovered 
that  the  shells  of  the  seed  could  be  ground  into  meal  and  con- 
verted into  a  fine  feed  for  cattle,  and  they  became  still  more 


352  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

valuable.  Other  uses  for  them  were  found,  until  today  the  value 
of  the  seed  is  almost  as  great  as  that  of  the  cotton  itself. 

In  order  to  clean  the  seed,  more  refined  processes  of  ginning 
were  devised  and  by  this  means  a  fluffy,  no-staple  cotton  is  pro- 
duced. This  is  known  in  the  commercial  world  as  "linters"  and 
is  used  largely  to  fill  car  cushions  and  such  rough  objects.  Its 
main  use,  however,  is  in  the  manufacture  of  gun  cotton  and  some 
other  high  explosives.  Its  importance  in  that  direction  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  the  price  of  linters  is  largely  regulated  by  the 
world's  political  aspect, — peace  prospects  depressing  and  a  war 
cloud  sending  the  market  upward. 

The  City  Cotton  Mills  erected  in  the  Second  ward,  in  1872, 
were  destroyed  by  fire  August  12,  1875,  entailing  a  loss  of 
$200,000,  which  was  complete  as  there  was  no  insurance.  An 
effort  was  made  to  rebuild  the  mills,  but  failed.  Afterwards 
Mr.  E.  H.  Gushing,  Mr.  James  F.  Durable  and  others  started 
another  cotton  mill  at  Eureka  on  the  Central  Railway,  five  miles 
west  of  Houston,  but  abandoned  the  enterprise  after  a  year  or 
two. 

An  important  factory  is  that  of  the  Oriental  Textile  Mills, 
located  here  in  1903.  These  mills  do  a  wonderful  business,  and, 
in  competition  with  the  Eastern  mills,  have  extended  their  ter- 
ritory both  to  the  East  and  West  until  now  they  cover  points  as 
far  east  as  the  Carolinas  and  as  far  west  as  California.  They 
have  secured  a  firm  foothold  in  Mexico  and  are  constantly 
extending  their  field  of  action.  Their  success  has  been  phenom- 
enal and  today  they  occupy  a  strong  position  in  the  manufactur- 
ing world.  This  success  is.  largely  due  to  the  wise  and  conserva- 
tive management,  for  the  mills  were  started  with  only  limited 
capital  and  had  much  to  contend  with.  There  were  two  prob- 
lems to  be  solved.  First,  how  to  produce  goods  in  the  best  and 
cheapest  way,  yet  of  only  the  highest  order  of  excellence,  and 
next  to  find  a  market  sufficiently  large  to  warrant  the  making 
of  them.  The  first  was  difficult,  owing  to  limited  means,  and  the 
second,  for  a  time,  seemed  almost  hopeless.  The  goods  were  made 
but  no  market  could  be  found  for  them  of  sufficient  magnitude  to 
warrent  a  continuance  of  the  business.  Finally,  finding  that  the 


353 

market  would  not  come  to  them,  they  determined  to  go  to  the 
market.  They  sent  one  man  out  seeking  orders.  Their  product 
was  so  good  and  their  terms  of  sale  so  fair,  that  this  first  salesman 
had  small  difficulty  in  selling  them.  His  success  showed  them 
that  they  were  on  the  right  track  and  they  sent  out  other  sales- 
men. Soon  they  had  orders  for  all  the  goods  they  could  pro- 
duce and  their  plant  was  enlarged  to  meet  the  growing  demand. 
Today  the  plant  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  and  most  thorough 
to  be  found  anywhere.  The  Oriental  Textile  Works  is  a  verita- 
ble village  in  itself.  Its  houses  for  workmen  are  models.  It  has 
a  school  for  the  children  of  its  employes,  and  a  church.  Many 
comforts  and  conveniences  for  those  working  at  the  mills  are 
supplied  and  the  factory  seems  to  enjoy  the  loyal  support  and 
friendship  of  every  man  and  woman  working  for  it.  It  is,  in 
many  respects,  a  model  plant.  These  mills  manufacture  burlap, 
burlap  bags,  press  cloth,  textiles  and  worsteds. 

The  manufacture  of  wagons  had  never  been  carried  on 
extensively  until  the  incorporation  of  the  Eller  Wagon  Works 
in  January,  1910.  Mr.  Frank  Eller,  the  president,  had  founded 
the  business  about  six  years  ago,  before  the  incorporation  of  the 
company.  They  employ  regularly  about  twenty-five  men  and 
turn  out  about  six  hundred  wagons  annually,  mostly  heavy 
trucks  and  oiltank  wagons.  The  officers  besides  the  president 
are:  J.  W.  Trimble,  vice-president;  R.  E.  Brooks,  treasurer, 
and  J.  M.  Powers,  Jr.,  secretary.  The  office  and  factory  are  at 
101-7  Crawford  Street. 

Not  until  June,  1904,  was  the  first  pronounced  step  taken 
towards  making  Houston  a  great  manufacturing  center  for  furni- 
ture and  woodwork  of  every  kind.  In  that  year  the  Myers-Spalti 
Company  established  their  first  plant  here.  From  a  modest 
beginning  they  have  added  to  their  facilities,  until  now,  in  place 
of  the  small  building  they  occupied  at  first,  they  have  four  or 
five  large  three  and  four-story  buildings  covering  several  acres 
of  ground,  and  their  plant  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped 
in  the  South.  The  number  and  variety  of  their  products  is  won- 
derful, for  they  manufacture  everything  wooden,  from  a  tooth- 
pick, to  the  finest  and  heaviest  furniture  and  office  fixings.  Their 


354  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

work  is  all  of  the  highest  order,  too,  for  they  employ  only  the 
best  expert  workmen.  The  business  done  by  this  firm  is  immense, 
they  having  branch  offices  at  the  leading  markets,  and  shipping 
their  products  all  over  the  South  and  West. 

The  Houston  Show-Case  and  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
which  John  Guinan  is  president  and  R.  A.  Surge  is  vice-president 
and  general  manager,  has  built  up  a  large  business  and  a  fine 
reputation  in  the  manufacturing  of  show  cases,  bank,  bar,  drug 
store  and  office  fixtures  and  furniture.  Its  plant  is  on  Wash- 
ington Avenue,  Nos.  3600  to  3618. 

Houston  has  the  distinction  of  possessing  the  only  piano 
and  organ  manufactory  in  the  South.  This  is  a  new  industry, 
having  been  established  only  in  1909,  but  it  is  already  doing  a 
good  business.  It  is  a  genuine  factory  and  not  merely  a  shop 
where  the  various  parts  of  an  organ  or  piano  are  assembled  and 
put  together  in  a  case  made  elsewhere.  The  piano  or  organ  is 
actually  manufactured  here,  from  the  pedals  to  the  cases,  of 
walnut,  oak  or  whatever  other  wood  is  used,  in  which  they  are 
finished.  The  instruments  turned  out  by  this  factory  are  pro- 
nounced to  be  of  the  highest  order  by  experts. 

By  1905,  Houston  had  taken  its  place  as  the  chief  manufac- 
turing city  in  Texas,  and  from  the  great  variety  of  its  manu- 
factured products  it  held  a  prominent  place  in  the  list  of  man- 
ufacturing cities  in  the  Southwest.  It  had,  as  already  noted,  the 
finest  and  best  car  wheel  works  in  the  South,  and  it  had  also 
four  of  the  largest  cotton  seed  oil  mills  in  the  South.  These 
mills  manufacture  thousands  of  tons  of  oil  cake  and  cotton  seed 
meal  and  make  both  crude  and  refined  oil  in  large  quantities, 
each  year.  Their  products  are  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 
It  had  brass  and  iron  foundries  whose  products  were  in  demand 
all  over  the  state  all  the  year  round.  It  had  two  immense  brew- 
eries. «It  had  fine  creosoting  works,  six  cotton  compresses,  big 
railroad  shops,  several  sash  and  blind  factories,  a  big  packing 
house,  a  large  flour  mill,  two  soap  factories,  several  candy  fac- 
tories that  supplied  not  only  Texas,  but  a  large  part  of  Mexico 
with  their  delicious  product,  several  broom  factories,  brick  and 
tile  works  that  were  constantly  increasing  their  facilities  to  keep 


Houston's  Manufacturers  355 

abreast  with  the  demands  made  on  them  by  the  building  indus- 
tries. Wagons  and  buggies  were  being  made  and  shipped  in  large 
.quantities,  while  Houston  made  tents  and  awnings  that  were  in 
demand  over  Texas  and  Mexico. 

Houston  is  a  great  coffee  center,  there  being  five  large  dealers 
and  roasters  here.  The  Check-Neal  Company,  J.  W.  Neal,  first 
vice-president  and  general  manager,  and  the  International  Coffee 
Company,  Wm.  D.  Cleveland  and  Sons,  managers,  each  estab- 
lished in  1896,  have  their  large  plants  here  and  maintain  branch 
houses  over  the  Southwestern  and  Southern  States.  They  are 
the  largest  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  Southwest.  The  others 
are:  the  Guatemala  Coffee  Company,  Magnolia  Coffee  Company, 
Schumacher  Company,  and  the  Southern  Tea  and  Coffee 
Company. 

Facts  and  statistics  in  regard  to  the  great  lumber,  rice, 
cotton,  and  mineral  oil  industries  are  given  in  another  chapter 
of  this  volume. 

The  development  of  the  Ship  Channel  gave  rise  to  a  rather 
large  industry  in  Houston.  The  formation  of  the  Houston 
Launch  Club,  organized  for  the  purpose  of  taking  advantage  of 
the  superb  facilities  offered  by  the  channel  for  aquatic  sports 
of  all  kinds,  created  a  great  demand  for  boats,  and  that  demand 
was  speedily  supplied.  There  are  three  regular  ship  yards  and 
a  number  of  individuals  engaged  in  boat  building  here.  Houston 
has  one  of  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  launch  clubs  in  the 
country.  The  club  has  a  beautiful  club  house  on  the  bank  of 
the  channel,  near  Harrisburg,  at  the  terminus  of  one  of  the  street 
car  lines.  There  are  several  large  and  well  equipped  launches 
and  a  number  of  smaller  pleasure  boats  owned  by  the  members. 
There  are  already  over  200  boats  belonging  to  the  fleet  and  in 
1911  there  were  contracts  made  for  others  to  cost  very  nearly 
$50,000.  The  channel  is  an  ideal  place  for  such  sport.  In 
front  of  the  clubhouse  there  is  a  width  of  200  feet  and  a  depth  of 
25  feet.  The  channel  widens  below  the  clubhouse  to  250  feet, 
within  five  miles;  then  to  300  feet;  then  to  400  feet,  where  it 
merges  with  San  Jacinto  River,  which  in  turn  enters  San  Jacinto 
Bay  and  then  Trinity  or  Galveston  Bay.  The  banks  are  high 


356  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

and  covered  with  forest  trees  and  flowers  which  will  stand 
much  closer  inspection  than  the  famous  banks  of  the  Hudson 
River. 

According  to  statistics  collected  by  Houston's  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  the  city's  manufacturing  plants  turn  out  280  dis- 
tinct articles.  Some  of  these  manufacturing  plants  are  small 
concerns,  it  is  true,  but  even  the  smallest  is  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  useful  articles  here  at  home  that  were  formerly 
bought  from  outside  markets  and  thus  all  the  money  employed 
in  their  making  and  all  that  is  paid  to  their  makers  is  kept  at 
home,  thus  adding  to  the  general  prosperity  of  the  city. 

The  United  States  census  figures,  made  public  July  22,  1911, 
shows  percentages  of  increase  for  Houston  manufactures  com- 
pared with  1904  as  follows  : 

Increase  in  cost  of  material  used,  88  per  cent;  increase  in 
capital  invested,  87  per  cent;  increase  in  number  of  salaried 
officers  and  clerks,  75  per  cent ;  increase  in  miscellaneous  expenses, 
72  per  cent ;  increase  in  value  of  products,  70  per  cent ;  increase 
in  value  added  by  manufacture,  46  per  cent ;  increase  in  salaries 
and  wages,  24  per  cent ;  increase  in  the  number  of  establishments, 
19  per  cent;  increase  in  average  number  of  wage  earners 
employed  during  the  year,  6  per  cent. 

Following  are  the  figures  for  1909,  when  the  census  was 
taken:  Number  of  establishments,  249;  capital  invested,  $16,- 
594,000;  cost  of  material  used,  $14,321,000;  salaries  and  wages, 
$4,254,000;  miscellaneous  expenses,  $1,942,000;  value  of  pro- 
ducts, $23,016,000;  value  added  by  manufacture,  $8,695,000; 
number  of  salaried  officers  and  clerks,  725;  average  number  of 
wage  earners,  5,338 ;  total  number  of  steam  laundries,  9 ;  capital 
invested  in  laundries,  $270,000;  cost  of  material  used,  $74,000; 
salaries  and  wages,  $256,000;  miscellaneous  expenses,  $129,000; 
value  of  products,  $500,000;  number  of  salaried  officers  and 
clerks,  34 ;  average  number  of  wage  earners,  422. 

The  question  of  fuel  and  water  for  manufacturing  purposes, 
is  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  it  is  in  that  direction  that  Hous- 
ton's  advantages  are  so  great.  "Water  of  the  purest  kind  and  in 
inexhaustible  quantities,  is  obtained  everywhere  by  sinking 


Houston's  Manufacturers 


357 


artesian  wells.  All  the  manufacturing  plants  in  Houston  have 
their  own  artesian  wells  and  are,  thus,  independent  of  all  other 
sources  of  supply.  The  chief  fuel  used  is  oil,  and  being  located 
on  the  very  border  of  the  great  oil  fields,  Houston  occupies  a 
most  advantageous  position.  The  supply  of  oil  is  great,  the  pro- 
duction of  the  Texas  fields  in  1910  having  been  13,000,000  barrels, 
all  admirably  suited  for  steam  making  purposes.  In  addition 
to  oil,  there  is  an  unlimited  supply  of  lignite  which  can  be  deliv- 
ered at  Houston  for  $1.50  per  ton.  With  properly  constructed 
grates,  lignite  makes  a  very  satisfactory  fuel  and  is  valuable  for 
that  purpose.  Recent  experiments  have  shown  that  lignite  made 
into  producers  gas  for  firing  purposes,  doubles  its  efficiency  as 
used  under  the  ordinary  steam  boiler.  The  manufacture  of 
lignite  briquettes  is  being  considered  by  local  capitalists. 

At  a  home  products  banquet  given  in  Houston,  on  the  even- 
ing of  October  27,  1911,  at  which  200  business  men  were  guests, 
more  than  50  articles  of  food  were  served,  all  of  which  had  either 
been  manufactured  in  Houston  or  produced  on  surrounding 
farms  and  orchards.  That  fact  in  regard  to  the  menu  justifies 
its  reproduction  here.  It  was  as  follows : 

Oyster  cocktail,  celery,  tomatoes,  roast  beef,  sweetbread, 
spaghetti  and  Red  Cross  chili,  yams,  wine  cured  Jasmine  ham, 
sliced  corn,  beef,  macaroni,  cornmeal,  grits,  veal  loaf  sandwich, 
tongue  sandwich,  hot  wieners,  boiled  rice,  cervelat  sandwich, 
rolls,  sliced  bologna,  boneless  pickled  pig's  feet,  crackers,  Red 
Cross  tamales,  liver  sausage,  string  beans,  head  cheese,  beer, 
sliced  ox  tongue,  cider,  calf's  head  jelly,  soda  water,  figs,  stewed 
pears,  preserved  figs,  pure  cane  syrup,  orange  marmalade,  ice 
cream,  assorted  cakes,  candy,  pecans,  satsuma  oranges,  coffee, 
cigars. 


CHAPTER  XX 

Wholesale  Trade  and  Big  Business 


Pioneer  Conditions  of  Trade.  Steamboat  Element  in  Houston's 
Business  Prosperity.  Natural  Advantages  Built  up  Great 
Industries.  Water  Competition  Gives  Advantageous  Rail- 
road Tariffs.  Houston's  Trade  Territory.  How  Annual 
Wholesale  Business  of  $90,000,000  is  pro  rated.  City's  376 
Incorporated  Companies.  Growth  of  Produce  Business. 
Importation  of  Fruits.  Sugar  Jobbing  Trade.  Packing 
House  Business.  Changes  in  Methods  of  Marketing  Cotton. 
How  Houston  was  Made  a  Cotton  Buyers'  Market.  Houston, 
the  Great  Selling  Market  for  Lumber.  Results  of  Lumber 
Panic  Prices  of  1907,  in  Concentrated  Selling  Agencies  in 
Houston.  Manufacturing  Capacity  of  Big  Lumber  Firms. 
Movement  ot  Curtail  Manufacture.  Facts  and  Figures  on 
Lumber  Industry.  Turpentine  Trade.  The  J.  R.  Morris 
Plan  for  Rice  Culture.  Houston's  Rice  Mills.  Rice  Pro- 
duction and  Food  Value.  Houston's  Retail  Trade  and  Wage 
Earners.  Capital  Invested  in  Retail  Trade. 


Trade  in  any  primitive  community  always  begins  with 
barter.  An  exchange  of  commodities  between  neighbors,  each 
supplying  the  lacks  of  the  other,  oftentimes  without  any  other 
consideration  than  friendship  and  good  fellowship  is  the  whole- 
some and  beautiful  beginning  of  trade  in  any  pioneer  commun- 
ity. Along  with  this  barter  and  exchange  there  is  often  a 
community  use  of  many  articles. 

In  most  towns  that  grew  up  in  America  as  the  skirmish  lines 
of  civilization  were  flung  out  westward  it  was  possibly  the  black- 
smith shop  that  was  the  pioneer  business  establishment.  The 
wagon  that  had  lost  a  tire  and  the  horse  that  had  flung  a  shoe 
as  the  white  topped  wagons  followed  the  faint  new  trail  into 
the  wilderness  furnished  the  trade  for  the  shop.  The  first  store 


Wholesale  Trade  359 

was  a  general  merchandise  store  where  everything  was  sold  from 
ploughshares  to  shoe  strings.  Hardware,  cutlery,  groceries,  dry 
goods,  boots  and  shoes,  molasses,  oil,  candles  and  rifles  and  all 
the  articles  needed  to  wage  the  fight  with  nature  for  the  reclama- 
tion of  a  virgin  forest  or  an  unploughed  prairie.  Eggs,  butter, 
produce,  deer  hides  and  coon  skins,  oats,  corn,  hay  and  cotton  or 
any  product  of  farm  or  field  was  taken  in  exchange  by  th<?  oblig- 
ing storekeeper  who  cheerfully  reaped  the  double  profit.  Jn  the 
front  end  of  the  store  was  the  postoffice  and  at  the  rear  end  a 
primitive  bar  where  straight  "licker"  and  Jamaica  rum  was 
served  from  the  barrel.  This  part  of  the  store  was  called  by 
the  more  pious  element  of  the  community  the  "doggery." 

Business  in  Houston  began  in  much  the  same  way  save  that 
from  the  beginning  it  was  modified  by  the  fact  that  here  was  the 
junction  of  the  land  trail  and  the  water  route  and  the  steamboat 
element  of  society  and  prosperity  entered  into  the  life  of  the 
town  from  the  beginning. 

Nevertheless,  so  dependent  was  the  community  upon  its  own 
resources  that  early  shipments  of  flour  brought  $13  a  barrel  and 
other  goods  were  in  proportion. 

The  lapse  of  time  and  the  increase  of  prosperity  slowly 
differentiated  business,  and  stores  were  established  for  the  sale  of 
separate  commodities.  The  dry  goods  store  in  time,  ceased  to 
sell  brogans  and  molasses  and  rum  and  sold  dry  goods.  But 
as  prosperity  advanced  yet  farther,  there  was  a  reversal  to  type 
and  the  modern  huge  department  store  where  everything  is 
again  sold  has  justified  the  pioneer  conception  as  to  "store 
keepinV  The  saloon  was  an  institution  from  the  beginning 
and  flourished  in  tents  until  it  could  build  houses.  The  character 
of  trade  has  remained  distinct  to  a  great  extent. 

Houston's  greatest  industries  have  developed  as  the  result 
of  natural  advantages.  Located  on  the  rim  of  the  great  pine 
forests  of  Texas  and  Louisiana  it  became  the  metropolis  of  the 
lumber  industry.  Situated  in  the  heart  of  the  alluvial  coast 
plains  it  became  the  center  of  the  rice  and  fruit  culture,  and 
being  the  natural  seaport  for  a  great  basin  that  extends  thou- 
sands of  miles  north  and  west  and  east  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 


360  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

and  the  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi  the  commerce  of  that  section 
will  more  and  more  sweep  down  upon  it.  Good  business  judg- 
ment and  fair  dealing  have  combined  with  advantage  of  location 
to  make  Houston  the  greatest  cotton  concentration  point  in  the 
world,  with  the  sometime  exception  of  New  Orleans. 

The  existence  of  the  ship  channel  makes  Houston  the  natural 
and  logical  basing  point  for  freight  rates,  for  it  is  here  that  the 
water  and  rail  transportation  meet.  Formerly  all,  or  practically 
all,  the  traffic  of  the  state  was  done  through  Houston,  over  the 
bayou.  Then  the  railroads  formed  connections  with  the  Northern 
and  Eastern  markets,  and  complications  arose.  Every  line  of 
railroad  attempted  to  make  a  tariff  of  its  own,  and  where  there 
was  no  competition  and  a  road  had  a  territory  to  itself,  it  made 
such  a  tariff  as  it  chose. 

When  these  lines  of  railroad  reached  Houston,  the  situa- 
tion changed,  for  here  they  found  a  most  formidable  obstacle 
in  the  form  of  water  competition  and  they  were  all  forced  to 
reduce  their  rates  to  meet  this  competition.  Through  its  ship 
channel,  Houston  has  all  the  advantages  of  an  actual  seaport, 
even  if  the  channel  were  not  actually  utilized. 

This  possible  water  competition  forms  the  basis  upon  which 
Houston  rates  are  fixed  and  they  enable  Houston  manufacturers 
and  wholesale  merchants  to  compete  for  trade  in  a  large  territory 
that  would  be  closed  to  them  but  for  the  existence  of  the  low 
rates  secured  through  water  competition.  It  also  permits  the 
concentration  and  reshipment  of  materials  by  the  jobbers  and 
permits  Houston  wholesalers  to  compete  with  north  Texas  job- 
bers, although  the  latter  are  much  nearer  the  source  of  supply. 

As  a  result  of  her  admirable  position,  Houston  has  become 
the  great  concentrating  and  distributing  point  for  nearly  the 
whole  state,  and  for  some  commodities  Houston  is  the  concen- 
trating point  for  the  whole  state.  This,  of  course,  has  made 
Houston  very  prominent  as  a  wholesale  market  and  the  volume 
of  business  done  is  immense.  The  greater  part  of  the  state  and 
some  parts  of  bordering  states  look  to  Houston  for  their  supplies. 

Among  the  remarkable  effects  of  Houston's  concentrating 
and  distributing  facilities,  is  the  fact  that  this  city  has  been 


Wholesale  Trade  361 

made  a  wholesale  market  for  commodities  not  usually  classed 
among  those  dealt  in  as  wholesale,  notably  machinery  and  heavy 
engines.  As  a  rule  all  such  things  as  monster  traction  engines, 
well-boring  machinery,  great  pumps  and  similar  articles,  are 
ordered  direct  from  the  large  factories  in  the  East  and  sales 
are  made  direct  to  the  consumer  by  the  factories.  However, 
Houston's  splendid  warehouse  facilities,  her  cheap  freight  rates 
and  her  position  as  a  distributing  point,  all  combine  to  enable 
her  to  carry  large  stocks  of  such  commodities  and  as  a  result 
she  has  become  a  great  wholesale  market  for  machinery.  The 
machinery  dealers  of  Houston  handle  all  kinds  of  heavy  material, 
from  huge  traction  engines,  threshers,  reapers  and  everything  of 
that  kind,  to  plows,  scrapers  and  small  plantation  supplies. 
The  business  is  large  and  is  growing,  for  each  year  shows  an 
increase  over  the  preceding  one.  The  business  done  in  machin- 
ery by  Houston  wholesalers  in  1910  totalled  over  $3,000,000, 
which  was  an  increase  of  about  $250,000  over  the  year  before. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  special  privileges  or  undue 
advantages  are  given  the  merchants  of  Houston  by  the  rate  mak- 
ing powers,  for  such  is  not  true.  Houston's  advantages  lie  in 
the  fact  that  having  the  water  rate  as  a  right,  she  has  increased 
and  perfected  her  local  facilities  by  providing  large  and  suitable 
warehouses  and  storerooms  and  has  done  everything  possible  to 
reduce  local  charges,  thus  enabling  the  largest  amount  of  business 
to  be  done  on  the  cheapest  basis.  These  low  local  charges  enable 
Houston  merchants  to  compete  in  territory  that  otherwise  would 
be  given  over  to  their  rivals  who  have  a  slightly  lower  rail  rate, 
but  who  are  less  wide-awake  or  who  have  other  drawbacks.  One 
fact  will  illustrate  this.  Houston  has  few  drays  or  heavy  floats 
for  transporting  goods  from  one  point  to  another.  They  are  not 
necessary  because  every  warehouse,  every  compress,  every  man- 
ufacturing plant  and  every  cotton  yard  in  the  city  is  located  on 
the  line  of  one  or  more  of  the  railroads  entering  the  city  or  on 
both  the  railroad  and  ship  channel.  This  saving  in  drayage 
amounts  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  annually.  On 
the  receipts  of  cotton  alone  there  is  saved  $100,000  each  year, 


362  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

while  on  other  commodities  there  is  a  saving  of  a  much  larger 
amount. 

Dallas,  Fort  Worth  and  other  large  trade  centers  have  tribu- 
tary territories  covered  by  special  rates  made  for  the  purpose 
of  placing  them  on  a  fair  and  equitable  footing  with  Houston 
or  other  competitors.  In  such  territory  Houston  can  enter  only 
through  using  the  advantages  she  has  created  at  home  to 
their  fullest  extent.  As  a  matter  of  fact  Houston  cannot  enter 
the  territory  having  a  radius  of  about  100  miles  around  Dallas 
and  Fort  Worth,  even  with  her  local  advantages,  but  in  all 
the  other  portions  of  the  state  Houston  is  either  on  an  equal 
footing  with  those  markets  or  has  a  slight  advantage  over  them. 

It  is  estimated  that  Houston's  wholesale  business  amounts 
to  $90,000,000  annually.  The  leading  articles  and  the  amount 
of  business  done  in  each  are  estimated  as  follows:  Machinery, 
$3,000,000;  hardware,  $4,000,000;  lumber,  $35,000,000;  petrole- 
um products,  $1,000,000 ;  drugs  and  chemicals,  $4,000,000 ;  paints 
and  glass,  $1,000,000;  furniture,  $1,400,000;  dry  goods,  $1,750,- 
000;  liquors,  $1,250,000;  beer  and  ice,  $2,500,000;  groceries, 
$8,000,000 ;  produce,  $4,600,000 ;  sugar  and  molasses,  $2,000,000 ; 
tobacco,  $1,250,000;  packinghouse  products,  $3,750,000. 

When  to  these  is  added  the  business  done  in  electrical  sup- 
plies, building  materials  of  various  kinds,  paving  materials  and 
a  number  of  other  things  on  which  no  figures  approaching  exact- 
ness are  obtainable,  it  will  be  found  that  the  estimated  total  of 
$90,000,000  is  rather  below  than  above  the  actual  figures. 

In  addition  to  the  thousands  of  individuals  and  unincorpor- 
ated firms,  there  are  376  incorporated  companies,  excluding  rail- 
roads, trust  companies  and  banks,  doing  business  in  Houston. 
These  have  a  combined  capital  of  $146,943,900.  These  companies 
represent  all  lines  of  trade  and  their  number  is  being  increased 
each  year. 

In  1902,  there  were  but  five  wholesale  dealers  in  fruits, 
produce,  butter  and  eggs  in  Houston.  Of  these  only  one  was  a 
large  dealer.  In  1911,  there  were  seven  large  establishments  and 
perhaps  as  many  as  twenty-five  small  ones,  whose  aggregate 
business  amounted  to  about  $5,000,000  annually. 


Wholesale  Trade  363 

In  1902,  the  Houston  jobbers  had  but  little  competition,  but 
today  some  of  the  markets  that  at  that  time  were  their  best  cus- 
tomers, notably  Beaumont,  Bryan,  Eagle  Lake  and  Hempstead, 
are  now  competitors. 

The  opening  of  the  Rio  Grande  country  has  added  greatly 
to  Houston's  business,  since  practically  all  of  the  vegetables, 
fruits  and  farm  products  of  that  territory  are  sold  in  Houston. 
Then,  too,  Houston's  merchants  have  become  large  importers  of 
grapes,  bananas,  prunes,  lemons  and  other  tropical  and  sub- 
tropical fruits  which  are  imported  direct. 

Houston's  proximity  to  the  sugar  cane  fields  and  its  close 
connection  by  rail  with  the  sugar  producing  territory  along  the 
Rio  Grande  have  made  the  city  the  sugar  center  of  the  state, 
and  over  $2,000,000  in  sugar  alone  was  the  record  of  the  Houston 
jobbers  during  the  season  of  1910,  while  the  season  of  1911  will 
undoubtedly  show  a  large  increase  over  the  preceding  year,  since 
the  1911  crop  is  a  large  one.  Since  the  opening  of  the  Rio  Grande 
territory,  Houston's  sugar  business  has  doubled.  Houston's 
selling  territory  is  Arkansas,  Oklahoma,  New  Mexico,  Tennessee, 
Missouri  and  Mississippi.  A  great  wholesale  coffee  trade  has  also 
been  built  up  here. 

Packing  house  products  cut  no  mean  figure  in  Houston's 
jobbing  trade.  The  Houston  Packing  Company  owns  a  large 
and  highly  equipped  plant  and  does  a  large  business,  while 
Armour,  Swift  and  other  outside  companies,  maintain  branches 
or  agencies  here  and  add  considerably  to  the  volume  of  business. 
A  most  conservative  estimate  places  the  amount  of  the  local 
business  for  the  season  that  closed  August  31,  1911,  at  $4,000,000. 
Outside  capitalists  are  planning  to  spend  $500,000  in  building 
stock  yards  on  the  ship  channel. 

Some  years  ago  it  was  the  custom  of  the  cotton  planter  to 
ship  his  cotton  to  a  commission  merchant,  to  be  sold  or  held  for 
higher  prices  as  the  situation  might  warrant.  The  system  was 
an  excellent  one  and  was  highly  satisfactory  to  both  parties  to 
the  transaction;  to  the  planter,  who  received  part  of  the  value 
of  his  cotton  in  advance  for  his  immediate  needs,  and  to  the 
merchant,  who  received  interest,  storage  charges  and  finally  a 


364  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

commission  for  selling  the  cotton.  The  system  was  safe  but  it 
was  slow  and  tedious.  It  was  the  best  that  could  be  dr  vised 
when  the  planter  had  to  seek  a  market  for  what  he  produced. 
It  was  a  cumbersome  system  as  well,  because  it  required  the  ser- 
vices of  so  many  middlemen. 

Then  a  change  took  place.  Instead  of  the  planter  seeking  a 
market  the  markets  of  the  world  sought  him.  All  the  great 
foreign  and  domestic  houses  sent  their  buyers  into  the  interior 
to  buy  cotton,  and  the  commission  merchant  was  largely,  though 
not  entirely  relegated  to  the  past.  Former  cotton  centers,  places 
that  had  done  an  immense  business  under  the  old  system,  were 
forced  to  change  all  their  time-honored  methods  or  accept  the 
inevitable.  There  was  a  new  and  very  important  feature  intro- 
duced into  the  cotton  trade.  It  became  imperative  to  have 
some  point  at  which  all  the  cotton  purchased  by  agents  in  all 
parts  of  the  state  could  be  concentrated  for  inspection  and 
arranging  before  being  finally  exported.  The  cotton  men  of 
Houston  recognized  this  necessity  almost  as  soon  as  it  arose  and 
took  steps  to  provide  such  necessary  facilities.  Houston  had 
large  compresses  and  large  cotton  warehouses.  Had  her  mer- 
chants been  less  farsighted  they  might  have  attempted  to  take 
advantage  of  the  city's  natural  advantages  and  gone  in  to  make 
large,  but  temporary  profit  out  of  these.  A  wiser  plan  was  fol- 
lowed. Instead  of  taking  that  advantage,  as  they  could  have 
done  easily,  they  used  their  compresses  and  warehouses  just  as 
so  much  capital  and  used  them  to  attract  cotton  to  Houston, 
not  as  an  ultimate  market  altogether,  but  as  a  concentrating 
point  for  cotton,  where  it  could  be  stored  and  handled.  Local 
charges  were  cut  and  made  as  low  as  possible,  with  the  result 
that  all  the  great  cotton  firms  of  the  world  have  been  attracted 
to  Houston,  and  most  of  them  have  either  branch  offices  or  local 
representatives  here. 

In  interested  quarters  it  has  been  asserted  that  the  railroads 
unfairly  favor  this  city  and  that  every  facility  is  given  the 
Houston  cotton  men  to  do  business.  The  fact  that  Houston's 
local  or  net  receipts  of  cotton  amount  to  between  700,000  and 
800,000  bales  each  season,  has  been  advanced  as  an  argument  that 


Wholesale  Trade  365 

Houston  is  so  favored.  Houston  has  advantages  as  a  cotton 
market,  it  is  true,  but  they  have  been  created  by  her  own  people 
and  have  not  been  given  to  her  by  the  railroads  or  anyone  else. 
The  market  has  been  made  strictly  a  buyers  market;  that  is,  all 
the  rules  of  the  local  cotton^  exchange  favor  the  buyer  and  the 
customs  of  the  cotton  factors  do  the  same  thing.  To  illustrate 
this  point  the  following  statement  of  local  charges  on  a  bale 
of  cotton  bought  from  a  local  merchant,  is  given : 

Compressing $0.50 

Loading  ....._ _ 05 


.55 

From  this  total  charge  of  55  cents  per  bale,  the  following 
items  are  deducted: 

Returned  to  buyer,  account  reclamation $0.10 

Returned  to  buyer,  account  inspection 03 

Returned  to  buyer,  account  !/2  samples 03 


.16 

This  leaves  Houston's  net  charges  on  a  bale  of  cotton,  39c, 
or  only  9c  more  than  it  costs  to  ship  the  same  bale  to  Galveston. 
The  result  is  that  Houston  has  about  thirty  firms  and  individuals 
buying  cotton,  which  makes  a  very  broad  market. 

While  the  compress  charge,  50c,  is  the  same  at  New  Orleans 
and  Galveston  as  at  Houston,  there  are  in  those  places  other 
local  charges,  such  as  drayage,  and  as  nothing  is  returned  to  the 
buyer  in  those  markets,  it  makes  their  charges  from  35c  to  45c 
higher  than  those  of  Houston.  On  drayage  alone  Houston  saves 
the  buyer  and  seller  of  cotton  $100,000  annually.  Under  these 
conditions  it  is  not  surprising  that  Houston  has  become  the 
greatest  spot  cotton  market  in  America. 

Additional  facts  in  regard  to  the  relation  of  Houston  to  the 
cotton  trade  are  found  in  other  chapters.  The  chapter  on  the 
cotton  exchange  gives  many  of  them  and  the  manufacturing 
chapter  deals  with  both  cotton  and  cottonseed  products. 

Houston  is  the  greatest  lumber  center  in  the  country.  This 
does  not  mean  that  Houston  takes  first  rank  as  a  manufacturing 


366  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

or  producing  center,  but  it  does  mean  that  more  large  lumber 
companies  and  organizations  have  their  headquarters  here  and 
that  more  mills  and  more  lumber  are  controlled  and  sold  through 
offices  in  Houston  than  through  those  of  any  two  or  three  cities 
anywhere  in  the  Southwest.  Houston  has  only  one  or  two  mills 
located  within  its  limits,  but  it  is  the  home  of  large  companies 
that  operate  nearly  all  the  great  lumber  mills  in  Texas.  Some 
250  sawmills  in  Texas,  Louisiana  and  Arkansas,  are  represented 
by  offices  in  Houston. 

The  proverb :  "  It  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  no  one  any  good ' ' 
has  proven  to  be  literally  true  so  far  as  Houston  is  concerned, 
for  it  is  said  that  the  great  financial  panic  of  1907  was  directly 
responsible  for  Houston  becoming  the  leading  lumber  center  that 
it  is  today.  The  methods  of  conducting  and  managing  the  lum- 
ber business  then  were  very  different  from  those  followed  now. 
Before  the  panic  there  was  a  brisk  demand  for  lumber  and  the 
mills  sold  all  they  could  produce.  There  was  a  market  right 
at  their  doors  and  their  sales-offices  and  mills  were  practically 
one  thing.  The  panic  came  and  found  them  with  large  stocks 
on  hand  and  no  market  of  any  kind.  There  was  no  demand  and 
the  problem  that  confronted  them  was  to  find  buyers.  They 
solved  it  by  sending  agents  over  the  country,  who  sought  to 
create  a  demand  and  who  were  successful  in  their  efforts.  But 
another  difficulty  arose.  It  became  necessary  to  keep  in  close 
touch  with  both  the  market  and  the  selling  agents  scattered 
over  the  country,  and,  as  this  could  not  be  done  from  the  mill, 
it  became  necessary  to  establish  headquarters  at  some  central 
point,  and  Houston,  having  so  many  advantages  as  a  distributing 
point,  was  naturally  chosen.  A  large  number  of  the  great 
firms  opened  offices  and  established  headquarters  here  while  a 
number  of  others  established  agencies,  so  that  practically  every 
large  manufacturing  and  wholesale  firm  in  Texas  and  the  greater 
part  of  Louisiana,  is  represented  in  Houston.  During  the  last 
three  years  the  growth  of  the  business  has  been  phenomenal. 
The  Kirby  Lumber  Company  has  expanded  wonderfully  and  is 
now  operating  eleven  mills,  manufacturing  annually  400,000,000 


Wholesale  Trade  367 

feet  of  lumber.  This  company,  which  successfully  weathered  a 
federal  receivership,  ranks  among  the  greatest  in  the  world. 

J.  M.  "West  and  associates  have  increased  their  holdings  in  a 
remarkable  way  during  the  past  two  years,  and  before  that  the 
expansion  was  also  almost  equally  as  great.  They  now  control 
the  Orange  Lumber  Company  of  Orange,  the  C.  L.  Smith  Lum- 
ber Company  of  Merryville,  the  Hawthorn  Lumber  Company 
of  Hawthorn,  the  W.  W.  West  Lumber  Company  of  Lovelady, 
the  firm  of  William  Carlisle  &  Company  of  Oklahoma  and  have 
built  a  new  mill  at  Barham,  Texas.  The  combined  output  of  these 
mills  is  175,000,000  feet. 

The  big  firms  of  Houston,  with  the  total  annual  capacity  of 
their  plants  are :  Kirby  Lumber  Co.,  manufacturers,  400,000,000 
feet;  Long-Bell  Lumbe'r  Company,  manufacturers,  500,000,000; 
West  Lumber  Company,'  manufacturers,  175,000,000;  W.  H. 
Norris  Lumber  Company,  wholesalers,  100,000,000;  Vaughan 
Lumber  Company,  wholesalers,  100,000,000;  Continental  Lum- 
ber and  Tie  Company,  wholesalers,  100,000,000;  Trinity  River 
Lumber  Company,  manufacturers,  60,000,000 ;  Central  Coal  and 
Coke  Company,  manufacturers,  50,000,000;  W.  T.  Carter  & 
Brother,  manufacturers,  50,000,000;  Carter  Lumber  Company, 
40,000,000;  W.  R.  Pickering  Lumber  Company,  manufacturers, 
50,000,000 ;  Sabine  Lumber  Company,  manufacturers,  40,000,000 ; 
Ray  &  Mihills,  wholesalers,  40,000,000;  Carter-Kelley  Lumber 
Company,  30,000,000;  Big  Tree  Lumber  Company,  manufactur- 
ers and  wholesalers,  30,000,000;  C.  R.  Cummings  &  Co.,  manu- 
facturers, 25,000,000 ;  J.  S.  and  W.  M.  Rice,  manufacturers,  25,- 
000,000;  Gebhart-Williams-Fenet,  manufacturers,  25,000,000; 
Bland  &  Fisher,  manufacturers,  25,000,000;  J.  C.  Hill 
Lumber  Company,  manufacturers,  20,000,000;  L.  B.  Manefee 
Lumber  Company,  manufacturers,  20,000,000 ;  R.  W.  Wier  Lum- 
ber Company,  manufacturers,  20,000,000;  Alf.  Bennett  Lumber 
Company,  manufacturers  and  wholesalers,  20,000,000 ;  R.  C. 
Miller  Lumber  Company,  manufacturers,  20,000,000 ;  Bush  Bros., 
manufacturers,  15,000,000;  Southern  Pinery  Tie  and  Lumber 
Company,  manufacturers  and  wholesalers,  10,000,000. 

The  total  of  the  foregoing  is  1,990,000,000  feet.    There  is  no 


368  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

way  to  get  the  exact  figures  of  actual  business  done  by  the  Hous- 
ton firms,  but  if  there  were  it  would  he  shown  that  Houston 
occupies  a  position  very  near  the  head  of  the  list  of  leading 
lumber  centers  of  the  world. 

Some  few  years  ago  the  yellow  pine  output  was  figured  at 
around  three  billion  feet  a  year.  Most  of  this  enormous  amount 
of  lumber  is  handled  through  firms  having  headquarters  in 
Houston. 

In  1901  there  were  only  seventeen  persons  and  firms  in 
Houston  handling  lumber.  In  1911  there  are  90  such  concerns. 
Houston,  a  decade  ago,  while  laying  claim  to  being  a  large  whole- 
sale distributing  point  for  lumber  was  still  in  its  infancy  as  a 
lumber  mart.  This  city  is  now  recognized  as  being  one  of  the 
world's  greatest  lumber  emporiums;  in  fact,  Houston  is  the 
greatest  clearing  house  of  the  Southwest,  particularly  for  yellow 
pine. 

As  the  lumber  business  of  the  Southwest  continued  to 
expand  it  became  necessary  to  create  a  central  market,  a  kind 
of  clearing  house.  Transportation  and  banking  facilities  had 
to  be  taken  into  consideration.  Houston  could  supply  both  these 
requisites,  hence  this  city  was  selected  as  the  proper  location  and 
today  Houston  contains  more  great  lumber  concerns  than  any 
section  except  the  Pacific  Northwest.  In  the  enormous  bank 
clearings  of  Houston  the  lumber  business  figures  largely. 

Of  late  several  of  the  smaller  mills  have  been  dropping  out 
of  business,  unable  to  meet  the  competition  of  the  larger  man- 
ufacturers. 

Rarely  ever  do  lumbermen  meet  without  discussing  the 
necessity  of  curtailing  output.  They  invariably  contend  that  in 
order  to  maintain  a  fair  market  manufacturers  must  reduce  their 
output.  In  1911  more  mills  than  ever  have  been  closed  down.  In 
order  to  crush  out  the  newly  organized  Timber  Workers'  Union, 
nearly  100  mills  in  the  Southwest  have  closed  down  and  surplus 
stocks  are  being  gradually  depleted.  In  the  summer  of  1911, 
however,  there  has  also  been  a  slacking  off  in  demand  throughout 
the  whole  country.  Because  of  this  dullness  in  trade  some  200 
mills  have  been  forced  to  suspend  work.  The  mills  which  have 


Wholesale  Trade 

•d  down  have  an  average  daily  capacity  of  10,000  to  S 
These  mills,  ho'  -e  not  included  in  the  list  ol 

h  have  shut  down  because  of  the  <i  vipe  out  unit 

In  the  mills.     Somewhere  »  round  10,000  mill  hands  i 

'  Ted  idle  by  the  shnt«Jo\vn  and  this  mean*  a  tremendous 
reduction  in  the  daily  output. 

The  largest  saw  mill  is  the  Kirbv  Bessmay. 

It  has  an  hourly  capacity  of  20,000  feet. 

The  largest  double  null  is  that  at  Onalaska.    It  has  a  capac- 
of  300,000  feet  in  ten  ho\. 

There  are  about  250  mills  in  Texas  that  manufacture  yellow 
exclusively. 

There  are  about  twenty  saw  mills  in  Texas  that  mauuf';ietur«' 
••d woods  exclusively. 

The  original  fore  i  41,980,000  acres. 

The  present  foro  H  »0,000  a< 

The  original  stm  Hit  80,000,000,000 

The  present  ut  27,000,000,000  feet. 
The  present  irapege  of  Texas  is  about  12,000,- 
»00  feet. 

The  man  wh*o  o\v  :it  of  pine  stumpage  in 

;s  is  doubtless  Mr  '  Houston,  whose  largest 

rigs  lie  near  Can  built  up  around  his 
mill. 

ouston    h  .  '    citizen     nor    one    more 

iliau  \V.  .conal   modesty  and  his 

•  ••mstsmtly  refuse  every 

is  a  ha  >••(  the  land  where 

pine  gv  and  has  massed  a 

fortune  out  r    is   u   common   saying 

.    lumbermen  .Id  a  saw  mill  with  a 

knife  E.    A.    Carter, 

lumber H"  •  irr«l:*  under  their 

.h  their  own  labor,   the  first  steel  saw 

1  er  built  in  Texas.     It   was  r.ullt    in    record   time  at  a.  saving 

"'),000  of  the  )'.  M*S  and  is  as  perfectly 

•is  any  saw  ni  The  first  logs 'were  cut  in  the 

on  July  4,  1911. 

3?  a  boy  of  s<  'iout  funds  n'"l  without  flnanrlal 

W.  T.  Carter  en  o  the  saw  mill  business,  he  had 

!  aw  lumber  to  pay  the  men  and  teams  that  helped  him  to 


Wholesale  Trade  369 

closed  down  have  an  average  daily  capacity  of  10,000  to  80,000 
feet.  These  mills,  however,  are  not  included  in  the  list  of  mills 
which  have  shut  down  because  of  the  desire  to  wipe  out  unionism 
in  the  mills.  Somewhere  around  10,000  mill  hands  have  been 
rendered  idle  by  the  shutdown  and  this  means  a  tremendous 
reduction  in  the  daily  output. 

The  largest  saw  mill  in  Texas  is  the  Kirby  Mill  at  Bessmay. 
It  has  an  hourly  capacity  of  20,000  feet. 

The  largest  double  mill  is  that  at  Onalaska.  It  has  a  capac- 
ity of  300,000  feet  in  ten  hours. 

There  are  about  250  mills  in  Texas  that  manufacture  yellow 
pine  exclusively. 

There  are  about  twenty  saw  mills  in  Texas  that  manufacture 
hardwoods  exclusively. 

The  original  forest    area  of  Texas  covered  41,980,000  acres. 

The  present  forest  area  covers  about  30,000,000  acres. 

The  original  stumpage  of  Texas  was  about  80,000,000,000 
feet. 

The  present  stumpage  of  Texas  is  about  27,000,000,000  feet. 

The  present  hardwood  stumpage  of  Texas  is  about  12,000,- 
000,000  feet. 

The  man  wh'o  owns  the  greatest  amount  of  pine  stumpage  in 
Texas  is  doubtless  Mr.  W.  T.  Carter*  of  Houston,  whose  largest 
holdings  lie  near  Camden,  Texas,  a  town  built  up  around  his 
saw  mill. 

*Houston  has  no  more  representative  citizen  nor  one  more 
honored  than  W.  T.  Carter,  although  his  personal  modesty  and  his 
vast  business  interests  have  caused  him  to  constantly  refuse  every 
offer  of  official  position  of  any  kind. 

W.  T.  Carter  is  a  native  son  of  east  Texas  and  of  the  land  where 
the  yellow  pine  grows.  He  loves  the  pine  trees  and  has  massed  a 
great  fortune  out  of  the  lumber  industry.  It  is  a  common  saying 
among  lumbermen  that  W.  T.  Carter  could  build  a  saw  mill  with  a 
pocket  knife  if  necessary,  but  he  and  his  brother,  E.  A.  Carter, 
recently  startled  even  the  lumbermen  by  erecting,  entirely  under  their 
supervision  and  with  their  own  employed  labor,  the  first  steel  saw 
mill  ever  built  in  Texas.  It  was  built  in  record  time  at  a  saving 
of  nearly  $50,000  of  the  price  quoted  by  contractors  and  is  as  perfectly 
equipped  as  any  saw  mill  anywhere.  The  first  logs  were  cut  in  the 
new  mill  on  July  4,  1911. 

When,  as  a  boy  of  seventeen,  without  funds  and  without  financial 
assistance,  W.  T.  Carter  entered  into  the  saw  mill  business,  he  had 
to  trade  raw  lumber  to  pay  the  men  and  teams  that  helped  him  to 


372  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

has  over  30,000  acres  in  rice,  while  the  country  tributary  to 
Houston  claims  190,000  of  the  253,560  acres  devoted  to  rice  cul- 
ture. The  rice  crop  is  the  third  in  point  of  importance  of  Texas 
crops.  Of  the  twenty  rice  mills  in  Texas,  Houston  has  five  and 
these  five  mills  are  of  such  size  that  they  represent  almost  one- 
third  of  the  milling  capacity  of  the  state.  The  Houston  mills  are 
the  following:  Pritchard  Rice  Mills,  capacity  2,400  bags  daily; 
Standard  Milling  Company,  capacity  2,400  bags  daily;  Texas 
Rice  Mills,  capacity  1,200  bags  daily;  Industrial  Rice  Mill- 
ing Company,  capacity  1,000  bags,  daily,  and  Southwestern  Rice 
Mills,  capacity  600  bags  daily. 

These  mills  have  a  combined  capacity  of  7,600  bags  daily, 
while  the  total  capacity  of  all  the  mills  in  the  state  is  only 
25,200  bags  daily. 

Owing  to  its  great  transportation  facilities,  Houston  became, 
at  once,  the  natural  concentrating  and  distributing  point  and  has 
remained  such  ever  since  the  establishment  of  the  industry. 

The  production  in  1910  was  about  two  and  one-quarter  mil- 
lion bags,  which  was  valued  at  $5,789,320,  but  even  this  small 
crop  had  on  its  face  many  features  of  overproduction.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact  there  was  no  overproduction,  for  other  elements  than 
quantity  entered  in  the  problem,  the  chief  being  a  lack  of  appre- 
ciation of  the  great  food  value  of  rice  by  the  public,  which  caused, 
what  some  one  has  described,  as  underconsumption.  The  people 
have  not  yet  learned  to  eat  rice,  and  as  the  railroad  rates  have 

Carter  &  Brother,  and  has  contributed  much  to  the  success  of  Mr. 
Carter.  Other  brothers  are  Lucian  C.,  and  Hon.  Clarence  L.,  the  last 
named  a  prominent  member  of  the  Houston  bar.  A  sister,  Claudia 
G.,  lives  with  Mr.  W.  T.  Carter  at  the  beautiful  Main  Street  home  of 
the  family  in  Houston. 

In  1910,  Mr.  W.  T.  Carter  was  King  Nottoc  XII  at  the  No-Tsu-Oh 
Carnival.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Carter-Kelley 
Lumber  Company  of  Manning,  Angelina  County,  is  vice-pi  esidert  of 
the  Union  National  Bank  of  Houston  and  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Livingston,  is  president  of  the  Moscow,  Camden  and  San  Augustine 
railroad,  which  he  tuilt,  and  director  of  the  H.  E.  &  W.  T.  railroad. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Thalian,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  Country,  and  Houston 
Clubs,  and  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  The  family  attends  the 
First  Baptist  Church. 

Mr.  Carter  is  a  thoughtful  student  of  economic  subjects,  has 
traveled  much  and  possesses  a  broad  culture,  and  is  modest,  kind 
and  hospitable. 


Wholesale  Trade  373 

been  most  unsatisfactory,  the  producers  have  had  to  look  to  the 
home  market  almost  entirely.  The  home  people,  who  eat  rice, 
demand  only  fancy  grades,  and  as  there  are  only  fifty  pounds  of 
fancy  in  every  162  pound  bag  of  rice,  it  is  readily  seen  that  the 
producer  is  left  with  an  undesirably  large  surplus  of  lower  grade 
rice  on  his  hands  at  the  end  of  each  season.  These  lower  grades  are 
of  just  as  great  food  value  as  the  higher  grade,  and  the  producers 
hope  to  convince  the  public  of  that  fact.  Efforts  are  now  being 
made  to  adjust  railroad  rates,  so  as  to  admit  of  an  extension  of 
the  market.  When  that  is  done  and  the  public,  in  general  realizes 
the  great  value  of  rice,  the  industry  will  take  on  new  life  and 
activity.  It  is  said'  that  there  is  enough  land  along  the  coast 
country  to  produce  the  world's  supply  of  rice.  The  industry  is 
still  in  its  infancy,  but  before  many  years  it  will  have  become  a 
giant. 

Whenever  there  are  periods  of  financial  depression  over  the 
country  it  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  Houston  is  rarely  affected 
to  any  great  degree,  and  that  real  "hard  times"  are  almost 
unknown  here. 

The  effect  is  felt  in  a  general  way,  of  course,  but  it  is 
not  deep  seated  nor  lasting  and  outside  the  large  financial 
concerns,  where  large  sums  of  ready  cash  are  constantly  needed, 
a  panic,  in  the  least  far-reaching,  is  unknown  in  Houston. 
This  seems  to  be  a  rather  broad  and  sweeping  assertion  and 
yet  it  is  a  true  one,  for  Houston's  business  is  based  on  the 
most  substantial  grounds  which  enables  it  to  meet  difficulties 
and  overcome  them  when  other  places,  less  favored,  would 
have  to  succumb.  In  the  first  place  those  engaged  in  commercial 
pursuits  here  are  not  dependent  on  the  success  or  failure  of 
any  one  line  of  trade,  such  as  oil,  lumber,  cotton  or  anything 
else,  but  their  interests  are  diversified  and  when  one  of  these 
is  depressed  or  even  fails  there  are  others  to  sustain  the  general ' 
situation. 

The  cause  for  Houston's  stability  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
there  is  the  basis  for  a  large  retail  trade  here  that  can  be  found 
nowhere  else  in  the  Southwest.  Vast  sums  are  paid  out  weekly, 
biweekly  and  monthly,  in  the  form  of  wages  with  the  result  that 


374  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

there  is  always  a  great  deal  of  money  in  circulation.  Roughly 
speaking  there  is  paid  wage-earners  in  Houston,  about  $8,500,000 
annually.  With  such  large  sums  of  money  kept  constantly  in 
circulation,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  Houston  should  show  life 
and  activity,  even  during  periods  when  her  less  favored 
competitors  are  plunged  into  the  depths  of  despondency. 

Houston 's  retail  trade  is  very  large  and  is  constantly  increas- 
ing. The  local  situation,  as  just  pointed  out,  is  very  inviting,  but 
to  that  must  be  added  the  constantly  increasing  demand  from 
nearby  territory,  opened  up  by  the  railroads  and  the  extension 
of  the  electric  roads. 

Houston  has  1200  retail  establishments  which  do  a  busi- 
ness of  nearly  forty-one  and  one-half  million  dollars  annually. 
The  following  list  shows  some  of  the  details  of  the  trade,  but  is 
not  complete,  because  of  the  difficulty  of  getting  anything 
approaching  accurate  information  about  the  smaller  concerns. 
It  shows  the  class  of  trade  and  the  amounts  invested :  Wagons, 
carriages,  etc.,  $900,000;  groceries,  teas,  coffee,  etc.,  $5,000,000; 
paints,  oils,  etc.,  $750,000;  petroleum  and  its  products,  $2,125,- 
060 ;  furniture  and  upholstering,  $1,600,000 ;  sash,  doors,  blinds, 
etc.,  $4,000,000;  clothing  and  men's  furnishings,  $3,000,000; 
jewelry  and  optical  goods,  $1,100,000;  drygoods  and  millinery, 
$3,000,000;  books,  stationery,  etc.,  $700,000;  drugs  and  chemi- 
cals, $750,000;  hardware,  crockery,  tinware,  etc.,  $3,600,000; 
engines,  machinists  and  electrical  supplies,  $2,200,000 ;  boots  and 
shoes,  $750,000;  grain,  feed  and  bakery  supplies,  $1,800,000; 
cigars  and  tobacco,  $300,000 ;  pianos  and  musical  supplies,  $400,- 
000 ;  fuel  and  ice,  $2,005,000 ;  toys  and  novelties,  $100,000 ;  flor- 
ist's  goods  and  seeds,  $140,000;  saddlery,  harness  and  trunks, 
$420,000;  automobiles  and  motor  boats,  $2,000,000;  typewriters, 
adding  machines,  etc.,  $1,800,000 ;  brick,  tiling,  etc.,  $1,000,000 ; 
'unclassified,  $2,000,000;  total  amount  invested,  $41,440,000. 

The  building  of  the  many  suburbs  has  extended  the  retail 
trade  and  may  account  in  some  measure  for  its  rapid  increase. 
The  completion  of  the  belt  railroad  is  already  beginning  to  show 
its  effects  in  the  same  direction.  The  figures  given  in  the  fore- 
going are  those  for  the  fiscal  year  closing  June  31,  1911. 


Wholesale  Trade  375 

The  estimate  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  November, 
1911,  is  that  the  annual  aggregate  of  business  is  $55,000,000. 

In  the  roar  and  din  that  accompained  the  rush  of  oil  out 
of  the  great  well  brought  in  by  Lucas  at  Spindle  Top  in  1900, 
was  sounded  the  first  note  of  Houston's  greatness  as  a  manu- 
facturing and  commercial  center.  That  discovery  meant  much 
for  Texas  and  it  meant  much  for  Houston  also,  because  this  city 
was  just  at  that  stage  in  its  development  where  it  was  in 
position  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  presented  by  the 
creation  of  this  great  and  new  industry. 

There  are  so  many  points  involved  in  the  history  of  the 
development  of  the  Texas  oil  fields,  that  it  is  impossible  to  discuss 
them  here;  suffice  it  to  say  that  their  possibilities  were  great; 
that  Houston  was  in  position  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity 
presented,  and  that  to  day,  in  consequence  of  its  having  done 
so,  it  is  the  recognized  leader  and  center  of  all  that  involves 
the  handling,  financing  and  exporting  of  the  product  of  the 
Texas  oil  fields;  that  it  is  rapidly  assuming  control  of  the 
Oklahoma  and  other  outside  fields  and  that  before  the  close 
of  1912,  all  the  output  of  those  fields  will  probably  be  handled 
by  Houston  companies,  either  directly  or  indirectly. 

As  the  center  of  the  oil  industry,  Houston  has  been 
prominent  since  the  first  oil  well  was  discovered,  and  each 
fresh  development  since  then  has  added  to  its  importance. 
The  Beaumont,  Batson,  Sour  Lake  and  Humble  fields  are  so 
near  that  it  wras  natural  that  they  should  have  at  once,  become 
tributary  to  Houston.  They  formed  the  nucleus,  a  great  one. 
too,  for  a  business  which  has  steadily  increased  and  yet  gives 
promise  of  greater  things  in  the  future,  since  now  all  oil 
industries  logically  tend  to  concentrate  here. 

But  a  better  idea  of  Houston's  importance  can  be  formed 
from  the  statement  that  there  are  five  large  oil  refineries  here, 
thirteen  oil  dealers  and  thirty -nine  producers  and  exporters, 
twenty-three  of  the  latter  being  large  corporations.  Among 
the  producers  and  exporters  is  the  Texas  Company  the  largest 
independent  oil  company  in  the  United  States,  having  a  capital 
of  $36,000;000. 


376  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Pipe-lines  from  all  the  oil  fields,  including  those  of 
Oklahoma,  converge  at  Houston.  The  production  of  oil  within 
the  territory  near  Houston  is  13,000,000  barrels  annually,  an 
output  increased  greatly  by  that  of  outside  fields,  all  tributary 
to  or  controlled  by  Houston. 

The  various  oil  companies  have  now  under  construction 
several  hundred  miles  of  additional  pipe-lines  covering  north 
and  east  Texas,  which  are  estimated  to  cost  something  like 
$7,000,000. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
Music  and  Art 


Houston's  Early  Development  as  Musical  Center  Due  to  Cultured 
German  Citizens.  High  Capacity  Demanded  by  Thursday 
Morning  Club.  City's  Record  on  Symphony  Concerts.  The 
Treble  Clef  Club.  The  Womans  Choral  Club.  The  Hous- 
ton Quartette  Society.  Federation  of  English  Singing  Soci- 
eties of  Texas.  The  Houston  Saengerbund.  The  Houston 
Music  Festival  Association.  Symphony  Orchestras  and 
Grand  Operas.  The  Japanese  Maid.  Bands  and  Orchestras. 
Co-operative  Work.  Musical  Critics.  The  Future  in  Music. 
But  Few  Local  Artists.  Hugo  Schoppman.  Work  of  Thuse- 
tan  Donnellen  and  Edgar  Mitchell.  Boris  Gordon's  Famous 
Portrait.  The  Art  League. 


Houston  has  always  enjoyed  fame  as  a  musical  center,  due 
in  large  measure  to  the  fact  that  among  the  early  settlers  were 
so  many  intelligent,  music-loving  Germans.  As  early  as  1847 
there  was  an  organized  German  quartette  society  here,  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  at  no  time  since  then  has  Houston  been  without 
a  musical  society,  composed  entirely  or  in  part  of  Germans  or  of 
native  born  German  citizens.  The  early  German  settlers  in 
Houston  were,  as  a  rule,  men  of  refinement,  education  and 
culture  who  brought  from  the  old  country  that  great  love  for 
music,  and  for  music  of  high  class,  for  which  they  are  justly 
famed.  Thus  the  early  Houstonians  were  brought  in  contact 
with  and  influenced  by  high-class  musicians  and  music-lovers, 
and  that  they  availed  themselves  of  this  blessing  is  attested  by 
the  record  they  have  made  and  sustained. 

The  Houston  Saengerbund  is  the  oldest  German  musical 
association  and  also  the  oldest  musical  association  of  any  kind  in 
the  city.  It  was  organized  in  1884,  and  has  been  in  active  exist- 
ence ever  since.  This  organization  was  largely  interested  and 


378  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

instrumental  in  organizing  the  State  Saengerfest  and  has  con- 
tributed in  many  ways  toward  creating  interest  in  musical  mat- 
ters. It  has  a  very  large  membership  numbering  340  and  holds 
weekly  meetings.  During  the  winter  months  it  gives  numerous 
instrumental  and  vocal  concerts,  complimentary  to  its  members 
and  friends.  It  is  one  of  the  most  influential  bodies  in  musical 
circles  and  has  done  much  for  the  advancement  of  the  highest 
order  of  music  in  Houston.  The  present  officers  are:  Albrecht 
Hellbergi,  president ;  W.  J.  Kohlhauff,  vice-president ;  Anton 
Brunner,  treasurer,  and  V.  Juenger,  secretary.  C.  C.  Leib  is 
the  capable  director. 

The  German-American  citizens  have  sustained  the  high 
standard  which  their  fathers  set,  but  they  no  longer  have  a 
monopoly  in  that  delightful  field,  for  the  native  Americans  have 
become  dangerous  competitors  and  rivals. 

Though  the  early  musicians  of  Houston  had  in  view  no  other 
object  than  to  bring  music-loving  people  together  for  mutual 
pleasure  and  enjoyment,  and  had  no  intention  or  desire  to  pose  as 
teachers  or  to  do  aught  that  might  increase  or  develop,  except  inci- 
dentally, musical  talent  as  it  existed,  their  successors  went  a  bit 
further  and  while  they  did  everything  to  educate  and  improve  the 
public  taste  by  giving  the  best  music  only,  they  also  organized  a 
society  which  created  a  higher  and  broader  appreciation  of  music 
among  the  musicians  themselves.  This  association  was  called  the 
Thursday  Morning  Musical  Club. 

This  club  was  organized  by  the  leading  professionals  and 
best  amateurs,  on  May  25,  1908.  The  objects  were  the  study 
and  practice  of  music  and  the  promotion  of  a  higher  standard  of 
musical  taste  and  culture  in  Houston.  Mrs.  Robert  L.  Cox  was 
elected  president;  Miss  Blanche  O'Donnell,  vice-president;  Mr. 
Fred  Dexter,  secretary  and  treasurer;  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth 
Rouse,  chairman  of  the  program  committee;  Mrs.  E.  B.  Parker, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  examiners. 

The  course  of  study  selected  for  the  first  season  will  give 
a  fair  idea  of  the  high  aims  of  this  club  and  will  at  the  same 
time  indicate  in  a  measure  its  radical  departure  from  the  methods 
of  most  musical  clubs.  It  included  the  study  of  Early  and 


Music  and  Art  379 

Modern  Italian  Composers,  Early  and  Modern  French  Composers, 
Celebration  of  the  Birth  of  Beethoven,  December  17,  Classic 
German  Period,  Slavonic  Composers,  Grieg,  MacDowall,  and 
Famous  Women  Composers. 

A  membership  in  this  organization  was  evidence  of  high 
ability  as  a  musician,  since  each  candidate  was  required  to  pass 
an  examination,  which  consists  in  rendering  the  following : 

Pianists,  Beethoven  Sonata  (two  movements)  ;  four  higher 
compositions  of  Chopin  and  Schumann;  four  modern  classics; 
Vocalists,  two  arias  from  opera  (singing  in  original  language)  ; 
two  oratorio;  four  songs,  selected  from  following  composers: 
Schubert,  Schumann,  Brahms,  Grieg,  Strauss,  Gounod,  Chamin- 
ade;  four  songs  by  American  composers  (MacDowell,  Chadwick, 
Mrs.  Beach,  Buck,  Foote,  Hawley)  ;  Violinists,  Sonata  (two 
movements)  ;  four  classical  compositions;  four  modern  classics; 
Organ,  Fugue  (Bach  preferred)  ;  four  selections  from  Guilmant, 
Lemare,  Widor,  etc. 

The  following  were  the  charter  members  of  the  Thursday 
Morning  Musical  Club:  Pianists,  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Rouse, 
Miss  Mary  Pauline  Bellinger,  Miss  Blanche  O'Donnell,  Mrs. 
Herbert  Roberts,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Parker,  Mrs.  Katherine  A.  Lively, 
Mrs.  I.  S.  Meyer,  Mr.  Horace  Clark,  Mrs.  Edgar  Gerhard  t; 
Violinists,  Miss  Stella  Root,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Oliver,  Miss  Grace  Linden- 
berg;  Vocalists,  Mrs.  B.  H.  Wenzel,  Mrs.  Baltis  Allen,  Mrs. 
Henry  Balfour,  Mrs.  Edna  McDonald,  Mrs.  Turner  Williamson, 
Mrs.  Robert  L.  Cox,  Mr.  Henry  Balfour,  Mr.  Fred  Dexter; 
Organists,  Mrs.  George  Heinzelman,  Mr.  Horton  Corbett. 

Mrs.  Robert  L.  Cox  who  was  one  of  the  originators  of  this 
club,  laid  a  foundation  for  a  great  musical  institution  and  had 
the  organization  been  continued  it  would  doubtless  have  devel- 
oped into  a  conservatory  such  as  will  one  day  be  established  here 
on  similar  lines.  After  some  time  the  organization  became 
dormant,  but  may  yet  be  revived. 

The  culture  value  of  music  is  recognized  even  by  those  whose 
souls  are  not  moved,  by  "  a  concord  of  sweet  sounds. ' '  Houston 
easily  ranks  as  the  musical  center  of  Texas,  for  no  sister  city 
can  show  an  equal  number  of  flourishing  musical  organizations 


380  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

or  a  record  of  an  equal  number  of  fine  concerts,  presenting  cele- 
brated artists. 

Sixteen  Symphony  concerts  were  given  in  Houston  in  the 
month  of  April,  1911.  This  record  has  not  been  equaled  in  the 
United  States. 

The  absence  of  factions,  the  generous  spirit  and  the  cordial 
cooperation  of  the  city's  professional  musicians  have  contributed 
largely  to  the  phenomenal  musical  growth.  The  daily  papers 
have  given  all  possible  encouragement  to  musical  endeavor.  The 
Sunday  issues  devoting  an  entire  page  to  music  here  and  else- 
where. 

Mrs.  Wille  Hutcheson,  a  musical  critic  of  discrimination, 
has  made  the  upbuilding  of  music  in  Houston  her  life  work.  To 
her,  belongs  unstinted  praise  for  her  loyalty  to  local  musicians, 
who  have  found  her  ever  ready  to  commend  worthy  effort  and 
"to  faults  a  little  blind." 

Houston  is  the  possessor  of  many  fine  instructors  in  the  var- 
ious branches  of  music.  The  foundation  for  a  solid  substantial 
musical  education  may  be  laid  here.  The  students  of  music, 
guided  by  their  wisdom  have  come  to  know  and  understand  the 
serious  study  of  music,  as  an  art,  and  not  a  shallow  accomplish- 
ment. The  churches  pay  marked  attention  to  the  music  whereby 
their  services  are  enriched  and  rendered  more  inspiring.  ' '  Musi- 
cales"  have  be«&  a  favorite  method  of  entertaining  during  the 
social  seasons. 

Of  the  many  fine  music  clubs  and  organizations  to  promote 
music,  the  Treble  Clef  Club,  as  the  oldest  local  American  Society 
surviving,  points  to  sixteen  years  of  honest  effort,  with 
many  discouragements  in  its  pioneer  work,  and  to  its 
growth  up  to  the  present  time,  when  the  sweet  and 
luscious  fruit  of  success  is  enjoyed.  The  following  is  a  sketch  of 
this  organization,  which  is  interesting  and  illuminating  as  to  the 
musical  conditions  that  have  prevailed  at  various  stages  of  Hous- 
tons  musical  development : 

On  April  18,  1896,  a  number  of  Houston  ladies  met  to 
discuss  the  formation  of  a  singing  society,  to  be  composed  of 
women's  voices,  resulting  in  organization,  with  the  following 


Music  and  Art  381 

officers,  who  promoted  the  growth  of  the  same:  Mrs. 
J.  0.  Carr,  president;  Mrs.  Giraud,  treasurer;  Miss  Campbell, 
secretary;  Mr.  W.  S.  Mason,  musical  director. 

The  organization  was  first  known  as  the  Ladies'  Singing 
Club,  which  it  was  found  expedient  to  change  to  Treble  Clef 
Club,  as  complications  arose  through  another  club  having  a  simi- 
lar name. 

Under  the  inspiring  direction  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Mason,  the  club 
prospered  and  concerts  of  a  high  artistic  standard  were  given, 
notwithstanding  the  difficult  environment  incident  to  pioneer 
musical  work. 

Mr.  Mason's  removal  from  Houston  in  1898  called  Mr.  R.  B. 
Savage  to  the  post  of  director.  After  two  successful  seasons, 
when  the  Treble  Clef  concerts  had  become  the  musical  events  of 
the  city,  upon  Mr.  Savage's  departure,  Mr.  Fred  Dexter  became 
director  for  one  season.  At  the  close  of  his  term  the  club  was 
without  a  leader  for  several  seasons,  suspending  active  work. 

Mrs.  "W".  C.  Munger  became  president  in  1898,  which  office 
she  still  fills.  Through  her  indomitable  will  and  energy,  the  club 
resumed  work  the  season  of  1904,  with  Mrs.  Vina  Avery-Beck- 
with  as  director,  rapidly  attaining  its  former  prestige  as  a 
choral  body.  After  two  seasons  of  excellent  work,  Mrs.  Beckwith 
left  Houston,  succeeded  by  Mr.  Horton  Corbett,  who  resigned' 
the  post  in  January,  1908.  Mrs.  Robert  L.  Cox  was  immediately 
elected  to  the  vacant  office,  carrying  the  club  through  the  inter- 
rupted season  to  a  brilliant  close  at  the  final  concert  in  April. 

In  Mrs.  Cox  the  Treble  Clef  Club  has  a  musical  director, 
whose  musicianship  and  business  sagacity  seem  equally  matched. 

The  singing  of  the  club  members,  whose  number  has  grown 
under  her  leadership  from  23  voices  to  75,  is  a  popular  feature 
of  their  concerts.  Financially  they  have  attained  the  enviable 
position  of  ending  their  season  with  a  handsome  balance  in  the 
treasury.  The  following  artists  have  appeared  as  soloists  with 
the  Treble  Clef  Club  since  Mrs.  Cox  assumed  the  directorship : 
Madame  Schumann-Heink,  Mme.  Jeanne  Jomelli,  Mme.  Mariska 
Aldrich,  Mme.  Hissem  de  Moss,  Alexander  Petschnikoff,  Mme. 
Charlotte  Maconda,  Miss  Alice  Sovereign,  Miss  Myrtle  Elvyn, 


382  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Mr.  Frank  La  Forge,  Mme.  Bernice  de  Pasquali,  Mr.  Rudolph 
Ganz,  Mr.  Oscar  Seagle,  Mr.  Francis  MacMillen. 

The  associate  membership  numbered  six  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-two in  the  season  of  1910-11.  The  closing  concert  called  out 
an  audience  of  over  four  thousand  people.  To  the  glory  of 
the  Treble  Clef  Club  let  it  be  said,  no  pledge  has  been  unredeemed, 
no  contract  broken,  during  the  sixteen  years  since  its  organi- 
zation. 

The  following  are  the  officers  chosen  for  the  season  of 
1911-12: 

Mrs.  Robert  L.  Cox,  musical  director;  Mrs.  N.  C.  Munger, 
honorary  president;  Mrs.  George  W.  Heinzelman,  president; 
Mrs.  C.  H.  Dorman,  first  vice-president;  Mrs.  W.  D.  Hume, 
second  vice-president ;  Mrs.  Charles  D.  Crawford,  secretary ;  Miss 
Gertrude  Rolle,  treasurer;  Mrs.  T.  C.  Rowe,  librarian;  Mr.  Sam 
T.  Swinford,  club  accompanist. 

The  Womans'  Choral  Club  was  organized  in  November,  1901. 
Mrs.  Wille  Hutcheson,  who  is  intimately  connected  with  all 
that  is  musical  in  Houston,  was  its  first  president,  but  after 
organizing  and  getting  the  club  well  on  its  feet,  she  was  forced 
to  resign  because  of  the  demands  made  on  her  as  a  newspaper 
worker.  Miss  Mary  Carson  Kidd  was  the  first  musical  director, 
but  went  abroad  for  study  and  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  E.  B. 
Parker. 

The  club  has  brought  many  artists  here  and  has  given  three 
concerts  each  year,  the  mid-winter  concert  being  the  grand 
affair  and  the  only  one,  for  admission  to  which  tickets  are  sold, 
the  other  two  being  complimentary^  to  the  associate  members. 

The  club  has  an  active  membership  of  fifty.  Its  present 
officers  are :  Mrs.  Turner  Williamson,  president ;  Mrs.  W.  M. 
Abbey,  vice-president;  Mrs.  Horace  Booth,  secretary,  and  Mr. 
Hu  T.  Huff  master,  director. 

The  Houston  Quartette  Society  is  the  oldest  surviving  Eng- 
lish singing  society  of  men  in  Houston,  having  been  organized  by 
the  late  D.  D.  Bryan,  Joseph  Taylor  and  James  Giraud,  in 
August,  1900.  It  was  the  intention  of  these  gentlemen  to  build 
up  a  permanent  organization  from  the  remnants  of  the  Houston 


Music  and  Art  383 

Glee  Club,  the  Houston  Quartette  Club  and  the  half  dozen  or 
more  musical  associations  and  organizations  that  had  been  formed 
from  time  to  time  arid  then  had  been  allowed  to  die. 

Mr.  Fred  Dexter  was  chosen  as  musical  director.  He  entered 
on  the  discharge  of  his  onerous  duties  with  energy  and  zeal  and 
it  is  largely  to  his  splendid  efforts  that  the  great  success  of  the 
society  is  due. 

It  was  decided  at  the  first  meeting  that  the  organization 
should  use  its  utmost  influence  and  endeavor  to  bring  the  bsst 
musical  talent  to  the  city,  and  to  that  end  an  associate  member- 
ship was  formed.  Many  artists  of  reputation  have  appeared 
under  the  auspices  of  the  society. 

To  the  Society  belongs  the  honor  of  having  created  the  Fed- 
eration of  English  Singing  Societies  of  Texas.  This  federation 
was  formed  in  the  fall  of  1903,  by  Mr.  D.  D.  Bryan,  the  president, 
'and  Mr.  Fred  F.  Dexter,  the  musical  director  of  the  Quartette 
Society.  In  order  to  gather  the  presidents  and  musical  directors 
of  Jhe  various  singing  societies  of  the  state,  they  were  invited  to 
attend  as  guests  of  the  Houston  society,  a  concert  of  the  Houston 
Quartette  Society,  at  which  Mme.  Schumann-Heinck  was  the 
attraction,  and  to  attend  a  meeting  at  the  Rice  Hotel  the  next 
morning  to  discuss  the  question  of  federation.  There  was  a  large 
attendance  of  English  singing  societies  and  the  state  federation 
was  formed.  The  two  first  state  festivals  were  held  in  Houston, 
those  of  1904  and  1905,  the  attractions  being  a  grand  chorus  of 
400  voices  from  over  the  state,  and  the  Damrosch  and  Pittsburgh 
orchestras. 

The  Quartette  Society  has  done  a  work  of  untold  value  for 
moral  and  social  life  in  Houston,  and  it  is  principally  through  its 
accomplishments  that  Houston  now  occupies  such  a  prominent 
position  in  the  musical  world.  It  has  about  fifty  singers,  includ- 
ing the  best  male  voices  in  Houston. 

The  first  president  was  Dudley  Bryan,  and  the  first  musical 
director  was  R.  B.  Savage.    Mr.  Bryan  was  the  president  con- 
tinuously for  several  years  until  his  death,  when  Mr.   W.  H. 
Hurley  was  elected,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  B.  A.  Ran 
dolph,  who,  in  turn,  was  followed  by  Mr.  Ward  D.  Hume,  De 


384  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

E.  Clinton  Murray,  Mr.  Hohn  Charles  Harris,  Mr.  Nelson  C- 
Hunger,  and  Mr.  George  W.  Hurd,  who  is  the  present  incumbent. 

Mr.  Fred  T.  Dexter  succeeded  Mr.  R.  B.  Savage  as  Musical 
director  and  held  that  position  for  several  years.  Mr.  Hu.  T. 
Huflfmaster  took  up  the  musical  directorship  three  years  ago 
and  is  the  present  conductor. 

The  Quartette  Society  was  the  first  local  club  to  establish 
an  associate  membership  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  outside 
artists  to  Houston,  giving  a  fixed  number  of  concerts  during  the 
season. 

The  following  world-renowned  artists  have  appeared  with 
the  Houston  Quartette  Society:  Nordica,  Gadski,  Schumann- 
Heinck,  Ellen  Beach  Yaw,  Companari,  Suzanne  Adams,  Eugene 
Cowles,  Leonora  Jackson,  Beresford,  David  Bispham,  Charles 
Clark  and  Evan  Williams.  Many  other  noted  artists  have 
also  appeared  under  the  club  auspices. 

The  active  members  are  as  follows:  First  Tenors — Joe 
Brukmuller,  E.  J.  Daly,  Lee  Dawson,  J.  C.  Dionne,  Geo..  E. 
Doscher,  James  Girand,  A.  H.  Hensch,  C.  C.  Henry,  Adair  Lock- 
man,  D.  E.  Simmons;  Second  Tenors — James  H.  Adair,  Jr., 
A.  Alban,  H.  A.  Arnold,  Jr.,  R.  T.  Giraud,  A.  W.  Hart,  H.  A. 
Story,  Dr.  C.  W.  Hoeflich,  N.  C.  Munger,  Jr.,  L.  E.  Norton,  E. 
E.  Reed,  N.  R.  Rushmore,  Fred  L.  Toombs,  H.  J.  L.  Toombs; 
First  Bassos — L.  A.  Blanchard,  F.  S.  K.  Clemens,  R.  G. 
Dawson,  John  W.  Graham,  D.  R.  Hodges,  W.  H.  Hogue,  George 
W.  Hurd,  John  McCleary,  C.  R.  Munger,  George  B.  Meyer, 
Charles  W.  Soby,  Ira  J.  Weigle;  Second  Bassos — C.  W. 
Bccock,  H.  F.  Bohmfolk,  A.  P.  Burr,  C.  H.  Dorman,  C.  E.  Gir- 
ton,  C.  Grunewald,  J.  Kennedy,  N.  C.  Munger,  Sr.,  S.  R.  Pickens, 
George  M.  Woodward,  Edwin  S.  Woodhead,  G.  B.  Hopper,  T. 
Howen  and  Hohn  Bridge. 

The  officers  and  directors  of  the  Houston  Quartette  Society 
for  the  season  of  1911-12  are  as  follows:  C.  W.  Hurd,  president; 
Jno.  W.  Graham,  vice-president;  H.  F.  Bohmfalk,  treasurer; 
S.  R.  Pickens,  financial  secretary;  F.  L.  Toombs,  corresponding 
secretary ;  F.  S.  K.  Clemens,  librarian ;  Nelson  C.  Munger,  Ward 
D.  Hume,  and  H.  F.  MacGregor. 


Music  and  Art  385 

The  Houston  Quartette  Society  and  the  Womans'  Choral 
Club  amalgamated  in  1911. 

The  formation  of  the  Houston  Music  Festival  Association 
was  due  to  a  conference  between  a  few  music  loving  citizens  and 
Mr.  Beach,  manager  of  the  Chicago  Symphony  Orchestra  in  the 
parlors  of  the  Rice  Hotel  early  in  March,  1907.  Nothing  was 
done  at  that  meeting,  but  a  few  days  after,  another  meeting 
was  held  and  a  permanent  organization  was  effected.  The 
officers  chosen  were :  A.  S.  Cleveland,  president ;  Dr.  Henry 
Barnstein,  first  vice-president ;  W.  D.  Hume,  second  vice-presi- 
dent ;  and  S.  A.  Kincaid,  secretary  and  treasurer.  At  that  meet- 
ing the  Chicago  Orchestra  was  engaged  to  come  to  Houston, 
April  27,  and  28. 

Mr.  Douglass  Powell  agreed  to  act  as  musical  director  and 
undertook  to  train  a  chorus  of  several  hundred  voices  for  the 
occasion,  though  the  time  was  very  short  for  such  an  undertaking. 
Miss  Bessie  Hughes  promised  a  chorus  of  live  hundred  children's 
voices.  Mrs.  R.  L.  Cox  personally  interviewed  representatives 
of  the  different  singing  clubs  and,  of  course,  aroused  their 
interest.  Mrs.  Wille  Hutcheson  and  Miss  Arlette  Cranford  did 
much  to  interest  the  public. 

The  orchestra  was  the  Chicago  Symphony  Orchestra,  Adolph 
Rosenbecker,  conductor.  This  orchestra  returned  for  the  1909 
festival,  when  Mr.  Jules  Albert  Jahn  conducted  the  chorus.  In 
1910  there  were  orchestral  concerts  only,  furnished  by  the 
Damrosch  Orchestra.  In  May,  1911,  the  Damrosch  Orchestra 
returned,  and  there  was  a  massed  chorus  conducted  by  Hu  T. 
Huffmaster.  All  of  these  festival  choruses  were  conducted  in  a 
masterful  way,  and  too  much  can  not  be  said  of  the  faithful, 
hard,  effective  work  of  the  members  of  the  choruses. 

The  association  now  has  a  membership  of  five  hundred.  Its 
officers  are:  W.  D.  Hume,  president;  Dr.  H.  Barnstein,  first 
vice-president;  Dr.  E.  O.  Lovett,  second  vicerpresident ;  J.  C. 
Bering,  third  vice-president ;  Guy  MacLaughlen,  secretary-treas- 
urer ;  Wm.  M.  Rice,  P.  W.  Horn,  Abe  M.  Levy,  John  McClellan, 
J.  C.  Harris,  David  Daly  and  George  Torrey,  directors.  The 


386  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

able  business  methods  of  the  secretary,  Guy  MacLaughlen  have 
done  much  to  give  the  association  an  assured  place. 

In  April,  1911,  Dr.  W.  S.  Jacobs  brought  the  Russian  Sym- 
phony Orchestra  here  for  a  series  of  ten  concerts,  affording  the 
music  lovers  of  Houston  the  greatest  feast  of  music  they  have 
ever  had  in  this  city.  A  repetition  is  earnestly  hoped  for. 

Other  organizations  that  have  helped  Houston  musically 
during  the  past  ten  years  are  the  Houston  Symphony  Club,  E. 
Lindenberg,  director,  which  helped  to  create  a  demand  for 
orchestral  music,  and  the  Girls'  Musical  Club,  which  has  its 
strongest  life  yet  to  come. 

On  the  night  of  November  1,  1901,  the  Metropolitan  Grand 
Opera  Company  of  New  York  gave  a  grand  performance  of 
"Lohengrin"  at  the  old  auditorium.  This  organization  was 
brought  here  by  D.  D.  Bryan,  James  A.  Giraud  and  H.  D.  Lea. 
These  gentlemen  achieved  a  great  success  with  a  large  under- 
taking. 

During  the  succeeding  ten  years  there  have  been  other 
wonderful  operatic  performances.  The  Metropolitan  Opera  Com- 
pany has  produced  "Parcifal,"  "La  Boheme"  and  others;  the 
Savage  Opera  Company  has  given  ' '  Madame  Butterfly, ' '  Wagner 
and  Verdi  operas,  and  others.  Musical  attractions  have  appeared 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Prince  Theatre,  and  artists  have  been 
brought  here  by  individuals.  Mr.  C.  E.  Oliver  has  brought 
Gabrilowitsch,  Sembrich  and  Bonci.  Miss  Alice  MacFarland 
has  brought  Liza  Lehmann  and  her  company ;  also  John  Barnes 
Wells,  Alexander  Russell,  Paulo  Gruppe,  and  she  has  managed 
other  concerts. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  musical  events  in  Houston  was 
the  opera,  "The  Japanese  Maid,"  that  was  produced  in  Houston 
in  October,  1911,  by  some  fifty  girls,  the  pupils  of  Mrs.  Edna 
McDonald,  under  the  supervision  and  stage  management  of  Mrs. 
McDonald,  who  had  constructed  the  opera  out  of  fragmentary 
materials,  planned  the  stage  setting  and  pictures,  and  drilled  the 
girls.  Mrs.  McDonald  has  rank  as  one  of  the  most  gifted  musi- 
cians of  Houston  and  was  a  pupil  of  Madame  Gadski  in  Berlin 


Music  and  Art  387 

and  was  at  one  time  under  engagement  with  Henry  W.  Savage 
to  sing  a  leading  role  in  one  of  his  operas. 

It  would  be  a  hopeless  task  to  attempt  to  recount  all  that 
individuals  have  done  for  Houston's  musical  culture  as  so  many 
club  presidents,  officials,  directors,  and  business  men  and  women 
have  borne  so  large  a  part.  Houston  has  many  capable  teachers 
in  every  branch  of  music.  Mrs.  Robert..  L.  Cox,  Mrs.  Edna 
McDonald  and  Mr.  Anton  Diehl  conduct  what  are  in  fact  conser- 
vatories. There  are  several  first-class  bands  and  orchestras 
prominent  among  them  being  the  Herb  and  Lewis  band  and  the 
Thayers  and  Beckers  Orchestras  and  the  Majestic  Orchestra. 

Many  of  the  churches  have  fine  pipe  organs  and  paid  musical 
directors  of  choirs. 

The  Houston  Choral  Club  and  the  Houston  Quartette  Soci- 
ety having  amalgamated  in  1911,  make  a  strong  composite  organ- 
ization for  the  winter  season  of  1911-12. 

The  theatrical  managers  often  present  musical  attractions 
of  note,  usually  light  opera  but  occasionally  grand  opera  such 
as  Bessie  Abbots  engagement  in  1911,  when  La  Boheme  and 
Madame  Butterfly  were  sung. 

Among  those  who  have  accomplished  great  good  by  musical 
criticism  are,  Mrs.  Wille  Hutcheson,  Miss  Arlette  Cranford,  Mr. 
Sam  T.  Swinford,  Jr.,  Mr.  James  Dow,  and  Miss  Alice  McFar- 
lane  the  last  three  named  being  themselves  musicians  of  distinc- 
tion. There  would  be  an  imposing  list  of  those  who  have  once 
lived  in  Houston  and  have  gone  out  from  this  city  to  attain  dis- 
tinction in  the  world  of  music  but  these  have  not  done  so  much 
for  the  musical  development  of  the  city,  which  is  the  real  theme 
of  this  chapter  as  have  the  men  and  women  who  have  labored 
at  home. 

Judged  by  the  appreciation  of  symphony  concerts,  by  the 
work  of  musical  directors  and  massed  choruses,  by  home  soloists, 
concert  artists,  orchestras  and  bands,  by  church  singers,  by  capa- 
ble teachers,  and  by  the  growing  demand  for  the  highest  order 
of  musical  attractions  there  is  every  reason  to  predict  a  brilliant 
musical  future  for  Houston. 

Houston  has  produced  great  physicians,  great  lawyers,  great 


388  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

financiers  and  great  statesmen,  but  never  great  artists.  There 
have  been  one  or  two  rather  good  painters,  but  never  one  who 
attracted  attention  beyond  the  circle  of  his  immediate  friends 
and  acquaintances.  There  might  have  been  an  exception  to  this 
and  Houston  might  have  possessed  a  great  painter,  had  not  fate 
determined  otherwise.  There  was  a  young  artist  who  came  to 
Houston  in  1856,  who,  had  he  lived,  would  have  unquestionably 
impressed  his  genius  on  this  community.  This  was  Hugo  Schop- 
mann,  a  young  German,  who  had  been  graduated  at  one  of  the 
great  art  schools  of  Germany.  He  had  artistic  talent  of  the 
highest  order,  was  a  man  of  independent  means  and  followed  art 
fcr  arts  sake  alone.  He  devoted  himself  to  landscape  painting, 
though,  simply  for  the  pleasure  he  took  in  doing  so,  he  painted 
one  or  two  portraits  of  his  friends  which  were  justly  admired  by 
all  who  saw  them.  He  was  highly  educated  and  a  man  of  great 
refinement  and  had  he  lived,  his  influence  on  this  community 
would  have  certainly  been  great.  Unfortunately  he  was  among 
the  first  victims  of  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  of  1858. 

The  only  native  Houstonian  who  ever  achieved  fame  as  an 
artist  was  Thusetan  Donellan.  His  was  a  peculiar  case.  It  seems 
unjust  to  him  to  exclude  him  from  the  roster  of  artists  and  at 
the  same  time  unjust  to  art  to  include  him.  He  was  almost  with- 
out education  of  any  kind ;  had  never  seen  a  picture  greater  than 
those  produced  by  scene  painters;  knew  nothing  of  paints  and 
pigments ;  in  brief,  he  was  as  ignorant  of  art  as  an  Indian.  And 
yet  he  had  moments  of  inspiration  when  he  would  produce  won- 
derful pictures.  He  would  paint  picture  after  picture  all  so 
badly  drawn,  illy  proportioned  and  so  badly  done  that  to  call 
them  daubs  would  be  flattery,  and  would  then  begin  and  finish 
a  portrait  or  landscape  that  would  be  something  of  a  masterpiece. 
In  his  moments  of  inspiration  he  would  work  like  a  fiend,  taking 
time,  neither  for  food,  sleep  nor  rest  until  his  task  was  accom- 
plished. He  was  a  musical  genius  also  and  could  play  on  all 
instruments,  although  he  knew  no  more  of  the  science  of  music 
than  he  did  of  art.  He  was  justly  famous  for  his  violin  playing, 
having  a  wonderful  sweet  touch.  When  he  was  young,  the  citi- 
zens raised  a  purse  and  wanted  to  send  him  away  to  be  educated, 


Music  and  Art  389 

but  he  had  too  much  vanity  to  permit  him  to  think  that  he  could 
be  taught  anything  and  he  refused  the  offer.  When  he  was  about 
twenty-three  years  old  he  painted  one  of  the  finest  portraits  of 
Sam  Houston  that  has  ever  been  produced.  It  was  really  a  work 
of  art  and  was  purchased  by  the  state  or  one  of  the  departments 
and  is  now  in  Austin.  With  only  a  small  miniature  to  guide  him, 
he  painted  a  life-size  portrait  of  the  wife  of  a  Houston  banker, 
that  was  marvelously  good  and  which  would  have  reflected  credit 
on  any  artist.  And  yet,  with  all  this,  the  vast  bulk  of  his  work 
would  have  been  unworthy  of  a  second-class  sign  painter.  He 
died  several  years  ago. 

Another  young  artist  of  an  entirely  different  type,  was 
Edgar  Mitchell,  a  young  man  who  came  to  Houston  from  Vir- 
ginia in  1880.  He  was  not  a  professional  artist,  but  was  a  very 
talented  amateur.  He  was  about  twenty-two  years  old,  but  even 
at  that  age  the  grim  reaper  had  marked  him  for  its  own  and  he 
died  of  lung  trouble  a  year  or  two  after  his  arrival  here.  Had 
he  lived  he  would  have  accomplished  something  in  the  field  of 
art  for  he  had  talent  of  high  order.  One  or  two  of  his  produc- 
tions are  still  preserved  by  his  friends.  One  of  his  best  paintings 
is  owned  by  the  Houston  Light  Guard  and  adorns  their  armory- 
Houston  is  the  domicile  of  a  portrait  painter  of  note  whose 
work  sometimes  reaches  up  to  the  standard  of  genius  and  always 
proclaims  him  a  clever  and  talented  artist.  He  is  a  Russian  by 
nativity,  a  pupil  of  Verestchagin  and  other  world-famed  painters, 
and  has  made  Houston  his  headquarters  since  1906. 
This  artist  is  Boris  Bernhardt  Gordon.  His  most  notable  portrait 
is  that  of  Dr.  B.  H.  Carroll,  Sr.,  president  of  the  Southwestern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  but  he  has  also  painted  greatly 
admired  portraits  of  William  M.  Rice,  the  donor  of  the  Rice 
Institute  and  of  Mrs.  Rice,  both  of  which  will  hang  in  the  admin- 
istration building  of  the  William  M.  Rice  Institute,  of  Governors 
Lanham,  Campbell  and  several  other  chief  executives  of  Texas 
and  a  famous  portrait  of  Sam  Houston.  More  than  two  score 
of  the  notable  men  and  women  of  Texas  have  been  painted  by 
Mr.  Gordon,  whose  work  is  both  artistically  praiseworthy  in 
high  degree  and  commercially  successful. 


890  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

The  greatest  and  most  promising  work,  having  for  its  object 
the  creation  and  development  of  artistic  taste  and  talent,  is  that 
being  done  by  the  Art  League.  This  is  an  association  of  ladies 
who  have  undertaken  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  the  children  of 
Houston  a  love  and  discriminating  taste  for  the  artistic  and 
beautiful.  Those  children  who  have  talent  are  given  facility  and 
encouragement  to  develop  it.  At  stated  periods  there  are  lectures 
on  painting  and  sculpture ;  great  works  of  art  are  described  and 
their  beauty  pointed  out.  When  possible,  good  pictures  and 
statuary  are  shown  and  described  in  detail  so  that  the  children 
may  learn  something  of  the  rudiments  of  art.  Drawing  and 
painting,  both  in  oil  and  water  colors  are  taught  in  the  school 
and  encouragement  is  held  out  to  the  pupils  by  assuring  them 
that  their  best  productions  will  have  place  in  the  art  exhibit,  at 
which  time  the  best  works  of  the  school  are  shown  to  the  public. 

The  work  being  done  by  the  Art  League  is  destined  to  pro- 
duce happy  results  for  even  though  it  produce  no  great  artist 
in  the  future,  it  will  have  instilled  into  the  minds  of  the  rising 
generation  a  love  for  the  beautiful  and  artistic  that  cannot  fail 
to  have  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  community  at  large. 

Houston  has  two  good  engraving  companies,  the  Texas 
Engraving  Company  and  the  Star  Engraving  Company,  each 
of  which  turns  out  a  high  grade  of  commercial  art  in  designing 
and  engraving.  Sam  B.  Kaiser  has  achieved  success  along 
similar  lines  and  as  a  cartoonist  and  Bert  Blessington,  the  Post's 
cartoonist  and  artist  has  made  the  public  fully  familiar  with 
his  work.  H.  C.  Norfleet  does  good  work  on  similar  lines,  and 
Will  Allen,  once  of  Houston,  has  attained  success  in  New  York 
as  a  pen  and  ink  artist. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

Houston's  Public  Buildings 


City's  Early  Court-Houses  and  Jails.  The  New  County  Court 
House.  Present  County  and  City  Jails.  A  Peripatetic  Post 
Office.  The  New  Federal  Building.  The  Viaduct.  The  City 
Market  House.  The  New  Auditorium.  The  City  Fire 
Stations. 


A  small  log  cabin  for  a  court  house,  a  couple  of  tables  under 
an  awning  for  a  market,  a  back  room  in  a  small  country  store 
for  a  postoffice.  These  were  the  places  where  the  first  affairs  of 
Houston  and  Harris  County  were  looked  after  in  the  early  days. 
The  first  grand  jury  met  behind  a  screen  of  bushes  under  a  big 
tree.  At  the  same  time  the  Congress  of  the  Republic  of  Texas 
was  in  session  in  a  rough  wooden  structure  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Rice  Hotel. 

It  was  in  1838,  while  Harris  County  was  still  called  Harris- 
burg  County,  that  the  first  •  court  house  was_  erected. 
This  court  house  was  located  on  the  corner  of  Con- 
gress Avenue  and  San  Jacinto  Street  and  faced  Congress 
Avenue.  It  was  constructed  of  pine  logs  and  was  in  two  parts, 
under  one  roof,  separated  by  a  gallery.  Each  of  the  two  rooms 
was  about  sixteen  feet  square,  and  the  gallery  was  ten  feet  wide 
In  the  rear  were  two  small  rooms,  about  ten  feet  square,  which 
were  used  by  the  county  and  district  clerks. 

The  first  jail  as  already  narrated,  was  equally  as  primitive, 
being  constructed  of  heavy  logs,  hewn  and  mortised  and  was 
practically  a  big  box,  having  neither  doors  nor  windows.  There 
was  a  hole  in  the  roof  and  a  prisoner  passed  into  the  jail  through 
the  hole,  down  a  ladder  and  then  the  ladder  was  withdrawn. 
There  was  no  way  to  escape  except  by  cutting  through  the  thick 
log  walls.  The  jail  was  located  at  the  corner  of  Congress  Avenue 


392  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

and  Fannin  Street  and  was  surrounded  by  a  high  board  fonve. 
Near  the  jail  was  a  curfew  bell  which  warned  all  negroes  olr  the 
streets  at  9  p.  m.  This  bell  was  also  used  to  sound  fire  alarms. 

•  The  first  brick  court  house  was  built  in  1850,  and  was  located 
about  the  middle  of  the  block.  It  was  two  stories  high  and  had 
a  cupalo.  It  had  four  entrances  and  was  a  small  and  cheap 
concern,  costing  only  $15,000,  but  was  considered  a  grand  struc- 
ture in  those  days. 

The  second  brick  court  house  was  erected  in  1859  and  was 
built  near  and  fronting  Congress  Avenue.  This  building  was 
practically  a  three-story  structure,  having  a  large  basement,  used 
to  store  records  and  such  documents.  This  house,  becoming 
unsafe,  was  torn  down  and  a  larger  one  of  similar  design  was 
built  nearly  on  the  same  site  in  1869.  An  item  of  interest  con- 
nected with  the  building  that  was  torn  down  is  the  fact  that 
much  of  the  brick  and  other  suitable  material  was  purchased 
by  Rev.  Father  Querat  and  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
Church  of  the  Annunciation  on  Texas  Avenue. 

A  third  brick  court  house  was  erected  in  1882,  and  was 
placed  farther  back  nearer  the  center  of  the  block  than  its  two 
predecessors.  It  was  quite  an  imposing  structure,  superior  in 
every  way  to  the  two  that  had  preceded  it.  It  stood  longer,  too, 
but  was  torn  down  in  1908  to  give  place  to  the  present  magnifi- 
cent building. 

An  election  was  held  April  22,  1907,  and  the  county  was 
authorized  to  issue  $1,000,000  in  bonds  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  new  court  house  and  building  county  roads.  The 
money  was  to  be  divided  equally  between  the  roads  and  court 
house. 

So  soon  as  the  necessary  legal  preliminaries  could  be  taken, 
the  contract  for  the  new  court  house  was  let  and  work  was  begun. 
The  contract  was  a  large  one,  and  a  large  sum  of  money  was 
involved,  but  at  no  stage  of  the  movement,  from  the  moment  that 
it  was  decided  to  arect  the  building  until  it  was  completed  and 
thrown  open  to  the  public,  was  there  a  hint  of  "graft"  or  other 
dishonesty,  connected  with  it.  The  building  cost,  in  round 
figures,  $450,000  unfurnished,  and  a  glance  over  it  will  convince 


Houston's  Public  Buildings  393 

anyone  that  the  people  got  full  value  for  every  dollar  they  paid 
for  it.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the  Harris  County 
court  house  is  a  superb  building.  It  is  built  of  Texas  granite, 
St.  Louis  hydraulic  pressed  brick,  marble,  structural  steel,  bronze 
and  terra  cotta,  and  it  is  one  of  the  handsomest  buildings  to  be 
found  anywhere.  It  is  almost  square,  and  is  two  hundred  feet 
high  from  the  base  to  the  dome.  It  is  of  beautiful  architecture. 
The  large  columns  are  of  solid  granite  and  have  Corinthian 
capitals.  There  are  four  broad  flights  of  granite  stairs,  one  on 
each  of  the  sides  of  the  building,  leading  to  the  second  story, 
where  are  located  the  various  county  offices.  The  basement 
is  used  as  offices  for  the  justices  of  peace  and  for  other  purposes. 
The  higher  courts  are  located  on  the  third  floor.  Everything 
is  admirably  arranged  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the 
occupants.  The  interior  finish  is  in  every  way  in  keeping  with 
the  beautiful  exterior,  and  on  the  whole  Harris  County  has 
reason  to  be  proud  of  its  court  house. 

At  the  unoccupied  corners  of  the  block  are  neatly  kept  grass 
plots,  and  surrounding  the  whole  block  is  a  low  granite  wall. 
Rows  of  beautiful  oak  trees  border  all  four  sides  of  the  block 
within  the  granite  wall.  Those  at  the  four  corners  are  much 
larger  than  the  others.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  they  were 
planted  by  Mr.  J.  R.  Morris,  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 
He  planted  them  with  his  own  hands,  saying  that  he  put  them 
there  to  serve  as  his  monument  and  cause  people  to  think  of  him 
some  time  when  they  rested  under  their  shade.  The  entrance 
which  is  most  used  is  that  on  Fannin  Street. 

The  Harris  County  court  house  will  meet  all  demands  that 
are  likely  to  be  made  on  it  for  many  years  to  come. 

The  court  house  was  formally  dedicated  on  Texas  Independ- 
ence Day,  March  2,  1911.  The  ceremonies  were  very  elaborate 
and  impressive.  Judge  Wm.  P.  Hamblen,  dean  of  the  Harris 
County  bar,  was  unable  to  be  present  on  account  of  his  illness, 
which  terminated  in  his  death  three  months  later.  In  a  letter 
to  the  committee  on  arrangement,  he  said: 

"Allow  me  to  say  that  it  would  please  me  to  be  able  to  con- 
gratulate our  people  personally  upon  the  completion  of  such  a 


394  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

handsome  structure  as  we  have  reared  for  the  accommodation 
of  our  courts.  At  the  time  of  the  founding  of  Houston,  1836,  I 
doubt  if  there  was  in  the  United  States  a  building  that  would 
compare  in  architectural  beauty  and  mechanical  embellishments 
with  our  court  house.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  having  lived  in 
that  day,  I  know  of  none ;  and  such  a  building  now,  in  this  day, 
for  a  community  like  Houston,  is  an  embellishment  of  which  all 
citizens  should  be  proud.  Moreover  and  especially  have  our 
people  a  right  to  congratulate  themselves  upon  the  uniform  integ- 
rity of  those  who  have  occupied  judicial  positions  in  Harris 
County  since  the  beginning  of  our  history.  There  has  not  been 
in  all  this  time  one  suspicion  of  wrong  doing  by  any  of  the 
judicial  officers  of  this  county." 

When  the  city  built  its  first  market  house  it  erected  a  two- 
story  building  on  the  Congress  Avenue  side  of  the  building  which 
was  a  combination  city  hall  and  city  jail.  This  was  used  by  the 
county  for  a  number  of  years  as  a  jail.  Finally,  in  the  late 
fifties,  the  county  erected  a  jail  of  its  own,  using  for  that  purpose 
a  lot  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Preston  Avenue  and  Caroline 
Street  opposite  where  the  present  police  station  now  stands. 
This  old  jail  was  a  small  affair.  It  was  built  of  brick  and  was 
two  stories  high,  though  the  stories  were  so  low  that  the  building 
had  the  appearance  of  being  scarcely  more  than  one  story  high. 
The  small  windows  and  doors  were  grated  but  in  no  other  way 
was  it  a  stronghold.  For  a  time  it  did  very  well  for  the  purpose 
for  which  it  was  designed,  but  crime  in  Houston  soon  outgrew  it 
and  it  became  something  of  an  outrage  on  humanity  and  decency. 
It  ha4  only  six  cells,  each  10  by  12  feet  and  a  ceiling  only  91/9 
feet  high.  In  1876  the  Telegram  denounced  this  Calcutta  black 
hole  and  stated  that  there  were  thirty-nine  prisoners  confined  in 
those  six  little  cells.  At  the  same  time  the  Telegram  stated 
that  the  Harris  County  Commissioner's  Court  was  trying  to  get 
permission  from  the  legislature  to  build  a  jail,  as  it  was  necessary 
at  that  time,  for  counties  to  secure  authority  from  the  legislature, 
there  being  no  general  law  authorizing  counties  to  construct  jails, 
or  make  similar  improvements. 

The  editorial  in  the  Telegram   evidently  stirred  the  com- 


Houston's  Public  Buildings  395 

missioners  into  action,  for  the  construction  of  a  new  jail  was 
begun  early  in  1879,  and  the  building  was  completed  and  turned 
over  to  the  county  authorities  in  March,  1880.  It  was  located 
just  across  the  street  from  the  old  jail  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Preston  Avenue  and  Caroline  Street.  The  architect  and  super- 
intendent of  construction,  Eugine  T.  Heiner,  stated  in  his  final 
report  that  the  construction  had  cost  $33,993.  It  was  two 
stories  high  and  was  more  modern  and  up-to-date  than  any 
similar  structure  in  the  state  at  that  time.  The  exterior  was  of 
Philadelphia  pressed  brick.  The  interior  was  divided  into  two 
sections,  the  jail  proper,  containing  fourteen  iron  cells  or  cages, 
each  7  by  10  feet,  and  the  annex  portion  containing 
departments  for  women,  invalid  prisoners  and  juvenile  offenders, 
jailor's  room,  sheriff's  office,  reception  chamber  and  cloak 
room.  These  were  all  in  the  front  part  of  the  building  occupy- 
ing all  the  ground  floor,  and  also  part  of  the  second  story.  Each 
room  was  supplied  with  gas,  water  and  up-to-that-date  conven- 
iences. While  the  interior  of  the  structure  was  ornamented  with 
tile  flooring  and  marble  mantles,  handsome  chandeliers,  etc.,  its 
security  of  structure  with  supplementary  doors  to  its  massive 
iron  cages,  was  in  striking  contrast  with  the  delicacy  of  its  finish. 
The  jail  proper  was  all  iron  cage  work,  the  floors  between  the  first 
and  second  stories  around  the  cages  being  of  perforated  iron.  The 
cells  could  be  locked  or  unlocked  singly  or  simultaneously  by  a 
lever  device.  Besides,  each  cell  door  had  an  independent  lock. 
Water  could  be  thrown  through  the  entire  system  of  cells. 

On  a  frontal  tablet  was  the  following  inscription :  C.  Anson 
Jones,  county  judge ;  0.  C.  Mulligan  and  James  Harrington,  com- 
missioners and  building  committee ;  Eugine  T.  Heiner,  architect ; 
Campbell  &  Grainger,  builders. 

That  jail,  as  large  and  modern  as  it  was,  soon  became  too 
small.  Then,  too,  that  part  of  the  city  where  it  was  located  had 
several  residents  who  objected  strenuously  to  having  a  jail,  where 
executions  took  place  occasionally,  so  near  them.  It  may  be  stated 
here  that  the  attic  of  the  jail  was  so  arranged  that  it  could  be  used 
as  a  place  of  execution  and  that  it  was  actually  used  for  that 
purpose  two  or  three  times.  Public  opinion  was  aroused  against 


396  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

having  the  jail  in  that  location  and  finally,  in  1891,  the  commis- 
sioners court  determined  to  purchase  a  new  site  and  erect  a  new 
and  yet  more  modern  jail.  The  block  of  ground  at  the  foot  of 
Capitol  Avenue  was  purchased  and  a  large  jail  was  con- 
structed on  it.  The  building  is  nearly  twenty  years  old.  For 
some  years  the  Criminal  District  Court  held  its  sessions  there,  a 
large  court  room  being  one  of  the  features  of  the  building.  When 
the  new  court  house  was  completed  the  Criminal  Court  was 
moved  to  it  and  since  then  the  building  has  been  used  for  jail 
purposes  only.  The  cost  of  the  ground  and  building  was  $150,- 
000.  Efforts  were  begun  in  1911  to  secure  a  larger  and  more 
adequate  building. 

Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  present  jail,  the  city  pur- 
chased the  old  jail  and  converted  it  into  police  headquarters,  and 
city  lock-up.  On  the  second  floor  is  located  the  city  court  which 
holds  two  sessions  each  day. 

Prior  to  1890,  the  Houston  postoffice  was  something  of  a 
peripatetic  affair  being  moved  here  and  there  to  suit  the  con- 
venience of  the  postmaster.  During  the  days  of  the  Texas 
Republic,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Snell  was  postmaster,  and  he 
located  the  postoffice  on  the  west  side  of  Main  Street,  between 
Preston  and  Congress  Avenues,  in  a  small  frame  building  that 
was  about  the  middle  of  the  block.  After  Texas  became  a  state, 
a  new  postmaster  was  appointed  and  he  removed  the  office  down 
to  what  was  called  the  Mansion  House,  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  Travis  and  Franklin,  where  the  Southern  Pacific  Building  is 
now  located.  The  next  postmaster  moved  the  office  to  the  corner 
of  Main  and  Preston,  where  the  Fox  Building  now  stands.  The 
next  move  was  to  the  northeast  corner  of  Fannin  and  Congress. 
The  postoffice  remained  there  for  several  years  and  was  finally 
moved  across  the  street  to  the  northwest  corner.  From  here  it 
was  moved  to  the  rear  of  the  Fox  Building  on  Preston  Avenue, 
near  the  little  alley  on  that  block.  Its  next  move  was  to  the 
Miller  Building  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  same  block.  It 
remained  there  only  a  short  time,  being  removed  to  the  Taylor 
Building  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Preston  and  San  Jacinto, 
where  it  remained  until  1890,  when  it  was  removed  into  its  own 


Houston's  Public  Buildings  397 

building  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Fannin  and  Franklin.  In 
1888,  Congress  had  appropriated  $75,000  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  postoffice  at  Houston  and  later  added  $15,000.  With 
this  a  site  was  purchased  and  a  building  erected  which  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  in  1890.  In  a  short  time  the  building  was 
found  to  be  totally  inadequate  for  the  needs  of  the  city  and 
substations  had  to  be  established.  Ten  years  later  Postmaster 
Strong  declared  that  he  needed  five  times  as  much  space  as  was 
at  his  command.  He  made  strong  representation  of  his  pressing 
need  for  more  facilities,  with  the  result  that  a  commission  was 
sent  here  from  Washington,  and,  in  1903,  a  block  of  ground 
between  Rusk  and  Capitol  Avenues  and  Caroline  and  San  Jacinto 
Streets,  was  purchased  for  $120,000  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a 
postoffice  and  Federal  Court  building  on  it.  There  were  several 
appropriations  made  and  there  were  also  many  changes  in  plans 
until  finally,  in  1908,  the  appropriation  was  definitely  fixed  at 
$400,000:  Advertisements  calling  for  bids  for  the  work  were 
published  in  May,  1908.  The  building  was  to  be  erected  on 
Federal  Square  and  was  to  be  three  stories  high,  and  170  by  121 
feet  in  area,  with  quarters  not  only  for  the  postoffice  but  for 
the  Federal  Court  and  all  Federal  officials  as  well.  The  building 
was  not  yet  completed  in  September,  1911,  and  in  the  meantime 
the  business  of  Houston  had  increased  so  wonderfully  and  rapidly 
that,  it  is  said,  when  the  building  is  completed,  which  will  be 
by  January,  1912,  it  will  be  necessary  to  retain  the  substations, 
there  not  being  room  enough  in  the  new  building  to  handle  all 
the  mail. 

The  new  building,  while  not  completed,  is  practically  so, 
needing  only  the  finishing  touches.  It  fronts  167  feet  on  San 
Jacinto  Street  and  has  a  depth  of  120  feet.  Its  architecture  is 
massive,  being  a  compromise  of  the  Doric  with  more  modern 
forms.  It  is  ornamented  with  marble  balustrades  and  handsome 
entrances  and  at  various  points  are  ornaments  in  harmony  with 
the  general  construction  and  design  of  the  structure. 

The  approaches  to  the  building  have  been  made  part  of  the 
general  design.  There  are  walks  and  grass-plots  in  front  and  a 
broad  driveway  in  the  rear.  All  of  this  has  been  worked  out  in 


398  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

concrete,  the  entire  block  being  covered  with  the  same  material 
with  the  exception  of  the  spaces  left  for  grass  plots. 

To  show  the  wonderful  increase  in  the  postoffice  business  at 
Houston  during  the  last  ten  years,  the  following  statement  is 
given : 

YEAR  RECEIPTS  INCREASE  PER   CENT 

1901  $118,180.93 

1902  143,730.92  $25,549.99  22 

1903  168,514.78  24,783.86  17 

1904  194,102.44  25,587.66  15 

1905  210,456.34  16,353.90  08 

1906  230,410.13  19,953.79  •  10 

1907  279,513.11  49,102.98  21 

1908  302,721.95  23,208.84  08 

1909  340,090.54  37,368.59  12 

1910  400,880.21  60,789.67  .     18 

1911  454,316.44  53,536.23  13 
The  building  is  exclusively  for  the  use  of  Federal  officials, 

the  lower  floor  being  devoted  entirely  to  the  use  of  the  postoffice 
department.  There  is  a  main  corridor  on  this  floor  running  the 
entire  length  of  the  building,  with  an  electric  elevator  at  each  end. 
This  corridor  is  beautifully  finished  in  oak  and  marble.  The 
postmaster  and  his  assistants  have  offices  on  this  floor,  where 
also  are  located  the  working  departments  of  the  postoffice.  The 
judicial  departments  are  located  on  the  second  floor.  There  are 
several  court  rooms,  and  offices,  clerks'  rooms  and  a  law  library. 
There  are  also  the  offices  of  the  several  court  officials  such  as 
attorney  and  marshal,  and  the  jury  rooms. 

On  the  third  floor  are  the  railroad  mail  department,  internal 
revenue,  civil  service,  army  and  navy  recruiting  offices  and  the 
offices  of  the  attaches  of  the  agricultural  department. 

From  the  beginning  of  construction  the  government  has  had 
a  supervising  architect  here  and  every  detail  of  work  has  been 
carefully  inspected. 

Another  great  public  work  that  has  just  been  started,  is  the 
viaduct,  connecting  the  south  side  of  the  city  with  the  Fifth  ward. 
This  is  a  magnificent  piece  of  engineering  work,  and  when  coin- 


Houston's  Public  Buildings  399 

pleted  its  benefits  to  the  whole  city,  and  the  Fifth  ward,  particu- 
larly, will  be  very  great.  "Work  has  commenced  at  the  south 
end  of  the  viaduct,  at  the  junction  of  Main  Street  and  Commerce 
Avenue.  The  structure  will  extend  over  Buffalo  Bayou,  and  to 
the  west  of  the  mouth  of  White  Oak  Bayou  and  will  cross  that 
stream  further  on  and  extend  far  into  the  Fifth  ward  to  a  point 
on  Montgomery  Avenue.  The  length  of  the  viaduct  is  to  be 
1,500  feet  and  its  width  sixty  feet.  It  is  of  steel  and  concrete 
and  when  completed  it  will  be  one  of  the  finest  structures  of  its 
kind  in  the  country.  Its  estimated  cost  is  $600,000.  It  is  the 
intention  of  the  city  to  prosecute  work  rapidly  so  as  to  complete 
the  viaduct  as  quickly  as  possible,  for  the  need  for  it  is  very 
great.  When  completed  all  that  part  of  the  city  lying  north  of 
White  Oak  Bayou  will  be  brought  into  rapid  and  easy  commu- 
nication with  the  south  side. 

The  story  of  Houston's  market  houses  has  been  told  else- 
where in  these  pages.  There  have  been  three  or  four,  the  two 
last,  preceding  the  present  one,  having  been  destroyed  by  fire. 
The  present  market  house  is  a  combination  of  market  house  and 
city  hall.  It  is  on  the  same  location  as  its  immediate  predeces- 
sors but  is,  in  every  way,  superior  to  them.  The  building  is  an 
imposing  structure  and  with  its  two  lofty  towers  has  become  a 
familiar  landmark  of  Houston. 

The  ground  floor  is  given  over  entirely  to  market  purposes, 
while  the  offices  of  the  heads  of  the  various  city  departments,  and 
the  city  council  chamber  are  located  on  the  second  lloor.  In  the 
center,  facing  Travis  Street,  is  the  entrance  of  concrete,  below 
and  between  the  two  towers.  The  second  story  walls  are  faced 
in  hydraulic  brick  with  concrete  trimmings.  The  largo  roof  is 
of  slate.  In  the  higher  of  the  two  towers  is  a  clock  with  a  dial 
eight  feet  in  diameter.  The  bell  that  strikes  the  hours  and  halt' 
hours,  was  cast  for  the  city  in  1876,  has  passed  through  two  fires 
and  consequently  has  sounded  its  own  downfall  on  two  occasions, 
and  is  still  as  serviceable  as  when  it  was  placed  in  the  first  tower. 
The  interior  of  the  building  is  finished  in  natural  pine.  In  the 
central  portion  of  each  tower,  stairways  rise  to  halls  that  lead 
to  a  broad  hall  running  parallel  with  Travis  Street  and  on  either 


400  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

side  of  the  main  and  entrance  halls  are  offices,  while  at  the  Pres- 
ton Avenue  end  of  the  building  is  the  large  council  chamber, 
whose  walls  are  decorated  with  pictures  of  as  many  of  the  mayors 
of  Houston  as  it  was  possible  to  get. 

The  building  is  heated  with  steam  and  has  electric  lights, 
it  is  not  only  a  beautiful  building  but  it  is  a  very  useful  and 
convenient  one.  Messrs.  Geo.  E.  Dickey  &  Co.,  were  the 
architects  and  Thomas  Lucas  was  the  contractor  who  built  it. 

Houston  is  proud  of  her  public  buildings  and  has  a  right  to 
be,  for  there  are  none  finer  in  any  Southern  city  and  few  super- 
ior anywhere. 

The  present  city  administration  has  accomplished  much  good 
in  many  ways,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  it  could  have  done  more  to 
advertise  Houston  and  bring  its  name  before  the  country,  than 
by  erecting  the  auditorium.  This  is  an  advertising  age  and 
cities  as  well  as  firms  and  individuals  must  do  all  in  their  power 
to  keep  in  the  lime-light  or  be  content  to  occupy  a  place  behind 
their  more  progressive  competitors.  The  Houston  auditorium 
stands  as  the  highest  type  of  best  advertising,  and  more  than  this 
it  is  really  a  fine  business  investment  on  the  part  of  the  city,  for 
it  is  evident  that  one  or  two  great  conventions  attracted  here 
by  it,  will  leave  in  the  city  almost  as  much  money  as  the  enter- 
prise cost.  This  money  is  left  with  the  people  who  are  the  real 
owners  of  the  auditorium,  for  it  was  built  with  the  city's  money. 

After  1900  the  growth  of  Houston  was  so  rapid  and  the  city 
was  so  often  called  on  to  entertain  large  conventions  that  it 
became  evident  that  provision  must  be  made  for  the  proper  care 
of  these.  Houston's  position  as  the  great  railroad  center  of  the 
state  made  it  the  natural  convention  center,  and  the  demands  on 
its  hospitality  were  growing.  Recognizing  that  action  must  be 
taken  to  meet  this  demand,  the  citizens  determined  to  enlist  the 
city  administration  in  a  movement  having  in  view  the  erection  of 
a  large  auditorium,  ample  enough  to  accommodate  the  largest 
body  that  might  choose  to  come  here.  The  great  importance 
of  the  building  was  recognized  by  the  commissioners,  but  they 
were  determined  that  it  should  be  constructed  out  of  current 
funds  of  the  city;  that  no  bonds  or  anything  of  that  sort  should 


Houston's  Public  Buildings  401 

be  issued  and  that  when  completed  the  building  should  be  abso- 
lutely free  from  debt.  The  attitude  of  the  commission  met  with 
public  favor  and  indorsement,  and  on  March  1,  1910,  work  was 
commenced  on  the  building  and  it  was  nearly  completed  when  it 
was  dedicated  to  public  righteousness  by  Rev.  Dr.  R.  C.  Buckner, 
November  19,  1910,  at  the  formal  opening  of  the  Baptist  General 
Convention  of  Texas,  the  first  convention  to  hold  its  session  in 
the  new  building. 

Mayor  Rice  was  present  and  explained  that  the  formal  ded- 
ication would  not  take  place  until  the  building  was  absolutely 
completed.  The  building  is  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  auditori- 
ums in  the  Southwest.  It  cost  the  city  $235,000,  and  was  a  cash 
transaction,  not  a  dollar  being  owed  on  it  when  it  was  completed 
and  turned  over  to  the  city. 

The  building  was  planned  after  a  committee  of  citizens  had 
visited  many  leading  cities  and  inspected  auditoriums  and  large 
public  halls.  All  the  good  features  of  these  were  noted,  and  it 
was  upon  the  recommendations  of  this  committee  that  the  archi- 
tects drew  their  plans.  The  result  was  the  present  superb  build- 
ing which  is  more  perfect  and  better  fitted  for  its  purposes  than 
any  similar  building  in  the  country.  It  is  located  between  Milam 
and  Louisiana  Streets  and  Texas  and  Capitol  Avenues,  covering 
the  greater  part  of  the  block.  It  is  constructed  of  pressed  brick 
with  Bedford  stone  trimmings.  There  are  entrances  on  Texas, 
Louisiana  and  Capitol  Avenues,  with  a  driveway  extending  under- 
neath the  building  from  Capitol  to  Texas  Avenues.  The  building 
fronts  250  feet  on  Louisiana  Street  and  150  feet  on  Texas  and 
Capitol  Avenues.  In  addition  to  the  main  entrance  there  are  a 
number  of  small  entrances,  by  means  of  which  the  building  may 
be  emptied  in  a  few  moments.  In  case  of  a  fire,  the  audience,  even 
if  it  were  large  enough  to  fill  the  hall,  could  get  out  of  the  build- 
ing before  the  fire  department  could  respond  to  the  alarm.  There 
is  little  danger  of  fire,  however,  for  the  building  is  as  nearly  fire- 
proof as  it  is  possible  to  make  it. 

The  main  auditorium  room  will  seat,  comfortably,  7,000 
persons,  and  the  stage  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  country.  In 


402  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

addition  to  the  main  hall,  there  are  several  smaller  assembly 
rooms  where  small  conventions  and  committees  can  meet. 

The  Central  Fire  Station  at  the  corner  of  San  Jacinto  and 
Texas  Avenue  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  useful  buildings  of 
its  kind  in  the  South.  It  cost  only  $30,000  but  it  is  almost  per- 
fect in  detail  and  admirably  suited  for  the  purposes  for  which 
it  was  designed.  It  is  two  stories  high  and,  on  the  lower  story, 
has  a  floor  space  of  10,000  square  feet.  It  extends  100  feet  on 
each  of  the  streets  named.  Since  the  building  was  erected  for 
practical  use  rather  than  for  ornament,  there  is  no  particular 
architectural  adornment,  yet  it  is  a  handsome  building,  con- 
structed of  steel  gray  brick.  There  are  three  broad  entrances  on 
each  of  the  streets  for  the  entrance  and  exit  of  the  fire-fighting 
machines,  while  at  the  rear  there  is  a  wagon  entrance,  so  that 
any  machine  returning  to  the  building  may  enter  that  way  and 
be  drawn  forward  to  its  usual  position.  The  upper  story  is 
given  over  to  offices,  a  dormitory,  a  gymnasium  and  bath  rooms. 
The  whole  building  is  steam  heated  and  lighted  with  electricity. 
The  chief  of  the  fire  department  and  his  assistant  have  offices  on 
the  first  and  second  floors.  The  outlying  fire  stations  are  of 
modern  and  scientific  construction. 


CHAPTER  X\U! 
Archiu  and  K 


Tents  and  Log  Huts  Wert 
Architecture.     The  1 
Story   House.      The 
Influence.     '\        : 
Introduc  < 
Placed    by    r!iiis 
Building.'     South   T. 
Carter  Buildiuy.     i 
National  B.nik  B 
.  western  T 
Pacific  < 
Buildim- 
New    , 
A.   I 


Bllil-: 

riok 

• 

• 
lijink     B 

• 

•nicle  Building, 
w  I'nioii  Station. 
•;rt  House;  and  t! 
iis«s.     The  Bender  IT 
r'  the  Churches. 
.  ry   Homes. 

Buildin  - 


Th< 

extreme,   con 
better  than  i 
surrounding  cor 
more  fixed  in  their  i 
few  log  cabins  wore  < 
record  has  been  prr 


pnmitiv 
;  ints,  scarcely 
made  their  honi- 
a«  the  early  Houstonians  became 

me  more  ambitious  a 
st  building  of  that  kind  whose 
>>eing  the  old  log  jail.     This  was 
merely  a  box  made  •  logs,  and  had  r.  :».K>rs  nor 

windows,  access  to  it  i«  a^  possible  only  through  a  hole  r 
top.    There  were  o  gs  before  that,  httwever,  and  there 

were  at  least  two  4  ructed,' single  story  bui 

1837.    One  wa    f  ling  post  near  the  Preston  Avenue 

bridge,  mention  «  i>een  made  elsewhere,  and  the  otter 

was  a  one-story.  <  r.  ••  r x>in  frame  house,  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Smith  an-  ihich  was  purchased  by  Col.    N&thim' 


I 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

Architecture  and  Building 


Tents  and  Log  Huts  Were  First  Buildings.  Primitive  American 
Architecture.  The  First  Brick  Houses.  The  First  Three- 
Story  House.  The  First  Four-Story  Hotel.  The  Latin 
Influence.  The  First  Six-Story  Office  Building.  Effect  of 
Introducing  the  New  Building  Materials.  Restrictions 
Placed  by  Climate  on  Architecture.  First  Eleven-Story 
Building.  South  Texas  National  Bank  Building.  The 
Carter  Building.  First  National  Bank  Building.  The  Union 
National  Bank  Building.  The  Chronicle  Building.  South- 
western Telephone  Building.  New  Union  Station.  Southern 
Pacific  Office  Building.  The  Court  House  and  the  Federal 
Building.  Apartment  Houses.  The  Bender  Hotel.  The 
New  Rice  Hotel.  Architecture  of  the  Churches.  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  Building.  Suburban  and  Country  Homes.  The  Wm. 
M.  Rice  Institute.  Houston  Residences.  Building  Permits. 


The  early  architecture  of  Houston  was  primitive  in  the 
extreme,  consisting  as  it  did  of  a  few  tents,  scarcely,  if  any 
better  than  those  of  the  Indians  who  made  their  homes  in  the 
surrounding  country.  Then  as  the  early  Houstonians  became 
more  fixed  in  their  location  they  became  more  ambitious  and  a 
few  log  cabins  were  erected,  the  first  building  of  that  kind  whose 
record  has  been  preserved,  being  the  old  log  jail.  This  was 
merely  a  box  made  of  hewn  logs,  and  had  neither  doors  nor 
windows,  access  to  it  being  possible  only  through  a  hole  in  its 
top.  There  were  other  buildings  before  that,  however,  and  there 
were  at  least  two  board  constructed,  •  single-story  buildings  in 
1837.  One  was  the  Indian  trading  post  near  the  Preston  Avenue 
bridge,  mention  of  which  has  been  made  elsewhere,  and  the  other 
was  a  one-story,  one-room  frame  house,  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Smith  and  Preston,  which  was  purchased  by  Col.  Nathan 


406  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

at  a  roughly  estimated,  average  cost,  with  an  added  profit  for  the 
contractor.  With  the  introduction  of  stone,  concrete  and  steel, 
all  that  was  changed  and  modern  scientific  methods  of  man- 
agement became  supreme.  Building  materials  became  staple 
articles,  obtainable  when,  and  in  as  large  quantities,  as  wanted. 
Business  stability  was  assured  and  the  contractors  were  enabled 
to  employ  scientific  methods  in  their  undertakings.  Fluctuations 
in  the  value  of  lumber,  brick,  cement  and  even  of  labor  became 
less  marked  and  the  intelligent  contractor  was  enabled  to  figure 
his  costs  on  a  structure  involving  millions  of  dollars,  with  far 
more  accuracy  than  could  the  old  contractor  have  done  on  one 
involving  only  a  few  thousands.  The  scientific  builder  became 
the  successful  builder  who  left  scarcely  anything  to  chance.  The 
old  "rule  of  thumb"  methods  were  superseded  by  scientific 
planning  and  the  careful  working  out  of  details  on  paper  so  that 
the  costs  could  be  properly  and  accurately  estimated  and  the 
multitude  of  materials  accurately  manufactured,  some  at  great 
distance  from  the  site,  and  yet  all  assembled  with  a  degree  of 
accuracy  that  is  the  real  secret  of  good  and  rapid  construction. 

The  changes  brought  about  in  architecture  were  less  far- 
reaching  than  were  those  in  building,  for  aside  from  the  greater 
opportunities  for  decoration  and  ornamentation  afforded  by  the 
new  material,  there  were  other  things,  such  as  climate,  which  had 
great  restrictive  influence.  A  building  however  beautiful  and 
architecturally  perfect,  suitable  for  New  York  or  any  of  the  other 
Northern  cities,  'would  be  entirely  out  of  place  and  unsuitable  for 
Houston.  The  choice  of  designs  has  therefore  been  somewhat 
limited  and  excepting  one  or  two  of  the  public  buildings,  one  or 
two  apartment  houses  and  .four  or  five  churches,  small  effort 
has  been  made  to  secure  outside  architectural  beauty  except 
along  well  known  and  oft-repeated  lines. 

The  tall  buildings  belong  to  a  class  all  their  own,  a  type 
common  to  the  whole  country,  but  they  are  peculiarly  adapted 
to  a  hot  climate  because  they  lift  their  occupants  above  the  heat 
and  dust  of  the  streets,  and  Houston  has  been  quick  to  avail  her- 
self of  the  advantages  they  offer.  She  now  has  twenty-five, 
ranging  from  six  to  sixteen  stories  in  height. 


Architecture  and  Building  407 

The  Scanlan  Building,  the  first  eleven-story  building  in 
Houston  was  erected  on  the  site  of  another  historical  spot.  It 
occupies  the  site  of  the  President's  Mansion  when  Texas  was  a 
Republic,  and  the  Rice  Hotel  is  now  being  demolished  to  make 
room,  on  the  site  of  the  Capitol  of  the  Republic  of  Texas,  for  an 
18-story  hotel,  mentioned  elsewhere. 

The  South  Texas  National  Bank  Building  stands  as  a  mpn  • 
ument  to  the  art  and  skill  of  the  architects  and  builders  of 
Houston.  Hampered  and  embarrassed  by  the  fact  that  the  pro- 
posed building  would  occupy  an  inside  lot,  thus  affording  but  a 
limited  field  for  accomplishment,  it  was  imperative  to  employ  the 
best  possible  design  and  to  use  the  richest  and  most  attractive 
materials.  The  style  of  architecture  adopted  is  rather  hard  to 
describe,  being  a  Grecian  Doric  with  a  composite  combina- 
tion. The  front  is  absolutely  plain,  but  is  made  very  attractive 
by  the  material  used,  it  all  being  of  white  Georgia  marble.  The 
cornices  and  other  ornaments  are  carved  out  of  solid  marble, 
which  is  an  unusual  feature. 

The  four  columns  supporting  the  main  pediment  are  turned 
from  solid  slabs  of  marble,  the  shafts  of  each,  exclusive  of  base 
and  cap,  being  twenty-two  feet  long.  Only  the  best  mechanical 
skill  was  employed  in  constructing  this  front  and  from  the  stand- 
point of  masonry  it  is  doubtful  if  the  work  has  its  equal  in  the 
South. 

The  interior  of  the  building  is  in  keeping  with  the  beauty 
of  its  exterior.  Only  the  finest  imported  marble  was  used  in 
the  construction  of  counters  and  columns.  The  ornamental  bronze 
work  is  especially  attractive  and  blends  beautifully  and  harmo- 
niously with  its  marble  surroundings. 

One  of  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  interior  is  the 
arched  ceiling  over  the  main  lobby,  which  affords  splendid  light- 
ing throughout  the  first  and  second  stories,  and  at  the  same  time 
creates  a  beautiful  decorative  scheme.  The  most  skillful  artists 
were  employed  in  decorating  the  building  and  the  results  obtained 
by  them  is  pleasing  both  in  detail  and  as  a  whole. 

Dallas  and  Waco  each  has  a  taller  building  than  the  Carter 
Building  in  Houston  but  neither  has  so  complete  an  office  building 


408  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

as  this  is.  It  is  one  of  the  strongest  buildings  in  the  state  and  is 
absolutely  fireproof.  It  is  a  steel  frame  structure,  sixteen  stories 
in  height,  and  has,  in  addition,  a  basement,  storage  vault  floor 
and  roof  garden,  making  it  practically  a  seventeen-story  building. 
The  foundation  and  steel  frame  are  so  constructed  that  five  or 
six  additional  stories  may  be  put  on  if  desired. 

There  are  four  elevators  having  a  speed  of  600  feet  per 
minute  and  provision  is  made  for  more  elevators  should  they 
be  needed. 

The  building  has  a  frontage  on  Main  Street  of  102  feet  and 
on  Rusk  Avenue  of  103  feet  from  grade  to  top  of  parapet.  The 
entire  base  course  of  the  building  is  of  polished  Texas  granite. 
Resting  on  this  and  extending  to  the  top  of  the  windows  of  the 
second  story  are  large  Bedford  stone  columns  with  architraves 
around  the  second  story  windows  at  the  ends  of  the  building  of 
terra  cotta  to  match  the  stone.  The  third  and  fourth  story 
belts  and  piers  are  terra  cotta  to  match  the  brick  and  stone.  All 
the  window  sills  and  belts  are  ornamental  terra  cotta  up  to  the 
fifteenth  story.  Kittanning  brick,  of  uniform  size  and  cream 
color,  vitreous  and  unglazed  and  strictly  waterproof  are  used 
on  both  street  fronts  of  the  building,  thus  giving  it  the  same 
appearance  from  either  street,  and  the  shade  of  the  terra  cotta, 
stone  and  brick  was  made  especially  to  harmonize.  The  sixteenth 
story  belt  course  and  the  drop  ornaments  between  the  fifteenth 
and  sixteenth  stories  are  of  highly  ornamented  terra  cotta  artis- 
tically modeled,  the  chenau  to  cornice  being  of  copper  and  illum- 
inated with  bull's-eye  electric  globes. 

The  main  basement  entrances  are  finished  with  marble  and 
bronze  railings.  The  lobby  entrance  has  ornamental  bronze  doors, 
sidelights  and  transoms,  executed  in  bronze  glazed  with  highly 
polished  French  plate  glass,  and  the  floor  of  the  lobby  is  of 
marble  and  laid  out  in  elaborate  patterns  to  correspond  with  the 
design  of  the  ceiling.  The  walls  of  the  lobby  entrance  from  the 
floor  to  a  point  twelve  feet  high  are  wainscoted  with  polished 
Italian  and  Norwegian  marble,  and  the  base,  at  the  floor- line,  is 
polished  Timos  marble,  and  the  pilasters  are  of  green  Italian 
marble.  There  are  fifteen  office  floors  each  elegantly  finished, 


Architecture  and  Building  409 

having  highly  polished,  pencil-veined  Italian  marble  wainscoting 
three  feet  and  six  inches  high  and  terrazzo  and  marble  floors.  All 
the  offices  are  well  lighted  and  ventilated  and  provided  with  elec- 
tric fans,  base  plugs,  electric  lights,  illuminating  gas  and  wash 
basins.  There  are  also  numerous  drinking  fountains  supplied 
with  constantly  circulating  ice  water. 

There  is  a  complete  vacuum  cleaning  system  all  over  the 
building.  The  building  has  its  own  water  supply  which  comes 
from  a  large  artesian  well  located  in  the  basement  and  yields 
300,000  gallons  daily.  In  addition  to  its  water  supply,  the  build- 
ing also  has  its  own  heating  and  electric  light  plants.  It  is 
owned  by  Mr.  S.  F.  Carter,  president  of  the  Lumbermens 
National  Bank. 

The  First  National  Bank  Building,  though  only  eight  stories 
high,  is  unlike  other  tall  buildings  in  that  it  has  a  great  floor 
space  and  covers  more  ground  than  any  of  the  others.  It  has  a 
fine  frontage  on  Main  Street  and  extends  back  over  half  a 
block  on  Franklin  Avenue.  In  addition  to  that  it  has  an  ell  that 
extends  back  towards  the  middle  of  the  block,  thus  making  its 
ground  area  very  great.  The  building  itself  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  Southwest.  It  is  eight  stories  in  height,  the  entire  ground 
floor  being  devoted  to  banking  purposes,  and  it  is  said  to  be 
the  largest  bank  home  in  the  South. 

The  building  is  of  reinforced  concrete  steel  frame  construc- 
tion and  is  absolutely  fireproof.  Its  exterior  is  handsome,  being 
of  gray  brick  and  terra  cotta,  with  beautiful  marble  columns  and 
tablets  suitably  arranged  and  placed.  The  halls  and  corridors 
are  paved  with  inlaid  tiling  and  marble. 

The  building  has  its  own  water  supply,  derived  from  a  large 
artesian  well,  and  also  has  its  own  electric  light  and  heating 
plant.  Its  office  equipments  are  complete  and  thorough,  there 
being  electric  fans,  electric  lights,  gas  and  hot  and  cold  water  in 
each  office,  while  there  are  drinking  fountains  of  running  ice 
water  in  all  the  halls  and  corridors.  The  building  is  cleaned  by 
the  vacuum  air  process. 

The  elevator  equipment  is  in  keeping  with  everything  in  the 


410  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

building  and  represents  a  late  and  high  type  of  electrical  machin- 
ery in  use  for  elevator  service. 

The  twelve-story,  concrete,  steel,  granite  and  brick  building 
of  the  Union  National  Bank  just  completed,  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Congress  Avenue  and  Main  Street,  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  and  ornamental  structures  in  the  city.  It  is  a  sky- 
scraper, but  is  one  in  name  only,  for  it  is  so  artistically  designed 
and  its  architecture  is  so  perfect,  that  it  is  free  from  that  in- 
describable something  which  attaches  to  all  isolated  and  exces- 
sively high  buildings  and  leaves  one  with  a  sense  of  the  incon- 
gruous. 

The  building  is  twelve  stories  high,  but  with  the  basement  it 
is  really  a  thirteen-story  building,  while  the  first  story  is  of 
almost  sufficient  height  to  be  counted  as  two  instead  of  one. 

The  basement  and  ground  floor  are  occupied  by  the  bank 
itself,  the  basement  being  fitted  up  as  elegantly  as  are  the  other 
floors  of  the  building.  Here  are  located  the  safety  vaults,  wait- 
ing rooms,  ladies'  and  gentlemen's  private  rooms  and  everything 
for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  patrons  of  the  bank. 

The  whole  of  the  first  or  ground  floor  is  devoted  to  the  use 
of  the  bank.  Its  finish  is  elegant  and  perfect.  Its  decorations 
are  of  marble,  bronze,  brass  and  ornamental  iron  work  so  artis- 
tically and  skillfully  combined  as  to  secure  a  charming  effect. 
There  is  a  lightness  and  airiness,  combined  with  richness  and 
stability  that  is  very  pleasing.  A  striking  feature  is  the  great 
amount  of  light — sunlight — that  floods  the  place.  There  is  not 
a  dark  corner  nor  a  single  place  on  the  whole  floor  where  artificial 
light  is  needed.  This  same  thing  is  true  of  other  portions  of  the 
building,  for  there  are  two  broad  and  two  narrow  windows  in 
each  office  admitting  light  and  fresh  air. 

There  are  eleven  stories  above  the  ground  floor,  all  devoted 
to  offices,  arranged  singly  and  en  suite,  thus  making  it  one  of 
the  most  complete  and  up-to-date  bank  and  office  buildings  in 
the  country. 

The  building  has  its  own  artesian  water  supply,  its  own 
electric  plant,  its  own  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  and  is 
thus  rendered  independent  of  outside  utilities  for  everything 


Architecture  and  Building  411 

'  that  tends  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  its  tenants.  It  is 
heated  by  steam  in  the  winter  and  cooled  with  chilled  air  in  the 
summer. 

Including  the  ground  the  building  cost  almost  exactly 
$1,000,000. 

It  is  the  cost  of  the  ground  rather  than  any  desire  to 
get  up  in  the  air  that  is  responsible  for  the  high  buildings  of 
today. 

The  Houston  Chronicle's  skyscraper  affords  a  splendid 
illustration  of  the  truth  of  this.  The  paper  needed  for  its 
own  use  a  building  of  at  least  three  stories  in  height.  For  its 
press-room,  store-room,  composing  room,  and  offices  for  its 
various  departments  such  a  building  was  an  absolute  necessity. 
A  suitable  three-story  building  would  cost  about  $150,000,  while 
the  ground  on  which  it  was  proposed  to  erect  it  would  cost 
about  $400,000.  This  was  not  to  be  considered  seriously  for  a 
moment,  and  to  overcome  the  prohibitive  difficulty,  the  Chronicle 
built  the  three  stories  for  itself  and  then  added  on  seven  more 
stories  of  attractive  offices,  as  revenue  producers.  It  is  true 
that  the  building  cost  nearer  $300,000,  than  the  original  $150,000, 
but  instead  of  a  purely  useful  and  exceedingly  expensive  building 
producing  no  revenue,  the  Chronicle  now  has  one  of  the  hand- 
somest combination  newspaper  and  office  buildings  in  the  South, 
over  two-thirds  of  which  is  revenue  producing. 

This  building  deserves  more  than  passing  notice.  It  is 
fireproof  and  is  ten  stories  high  with  a  basement  story  under- 
ground. It  has  a  floor  space  of  about  100,000  square  feet,  or 
nearly  two  and  one-half  acres.  Its  construction  embodies  a 
frame  of  reinforced  concrete  with  walls  of  brick.  It  is  a 
strikingly  beautiful  building,  having  a  base  of  polished  Texas 
granite,  surrounded  by  enameled  brick  of  dark  green,  end- 
ing with  a  projecting  course  of  glazed  terra  cotta.  Above  this  to 
the  roof  line,  the  building  is  of  pure  white  enameled  brick,  orna- 
mented with  belt  courses. 

The  interior  finish  is  in  every  way  in  keeping  with  the  beauty 
of  the  exterior.  The  halls  and  corridors  have  floors  of  pink 


412  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Tennessee  marble  and  wainscoting  of  white  Italian  marble  with 
black  marble  base. 

The  entire  building  is  steam  heated,  has  a  system  of  ice 
water  drinking  fountains,  electric  ceiling  fans,  electric  and  gas 
lights,  mail  chutes,  telegraph  and  telephone  facilities,  hot  and 
cold  artesian  water  from  its  own  wells  and  a  vacuum  cleaning 
system.  Duplex  geared  elevators  with  a  speed  of  400  feet  per 
minute  serve  the  building. 

The  building  is  located  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Travis 
and  Texas  Avenue.  Work  on  its  construction  was  begun  October 
14,  1908,  and  it  was  completed  and  occupied  in  February,  1910. 

The  best  example  of  structures  designed  for  special  purposes 
is  the  seven-story  fireproof  building  of  the  Southwestern  Tele- 
phone Company.  The  desigi}  follows  the  practice  recently 
adopted  in  Houston,  namely  the  use  of  light  colored  material  for 
exterior  decoration  of  office  buildings.  The  first  two  floors  are 
faced  with  limestone,  while  the  remaining  floors  are  of  light  gray 
brick  and  terra  cotta.  A  feature,  especially  noticeable,  is  the 
ample  window  area  which  insures  plenty  of  light  and  ventilation 
for  the  operators. 

The  extension  of  the  telephone  service  has  been  considered 
and  the  building  is  large  enough  to  care  for  double  the  number 
of  subscribers  it  has  at  present,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  the  steel 
frame  has  been  made  heavy  enough  to  sustain  five  more  stories. 

At  an  expenditure  of  $1,250,000  the  Houston  Belt  and 
Terminal  Railway  Company  have  given  to  the  city  a  public 
benefit  most  meritorious.  The  Union  Station  is  commodious. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  east  and  west  by  Hamilton  and  Crawford 
Streets,  and  on  the  north  and  south  by  Prairie  and  Texas 
Avenues. 

The  appointments  are  modern.  The  finishings  are  expensive 
and  artistic.  Thoroughly  comfortable,  pleasing  to  the  sight, 
and  with  every  convenience  of  modern  invention,  there  are 
larger  terminal  stations  than  the  Union  of  Houston,  Texas, 
but  none  more  replete  in  the  things  that  make  for  the  ease  of 
the  traveling  public. 

Construction  work  was  begun  on  the  building  in  September, 


Architecture  and  Building  413 

1909,  and  the  completed  station  wias  opened  to  the  public  March 
1,  1911. 

There  are  eight  tracks  and  four  train  sheds  included  in  the 
facilities  of  the  Union  Station  and  125  passenger  coaches  can 
be  accommodated  at  one  time. 

The  structure  is  fireproof  and  of  stone,  brick  and  concrete 
with  steel  supports.  It  is  three  stories  high,  the  upper  floors 
being  used  as  general  offices. 

The  owning  companies  are  five  and  the  present  tenants  of 
the  station  of  the  same  number. 

Probably  the  best  railroad  office  building  in  the  Southwest, 
if  not  in  the  entire  South,  is  that  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railway  Company  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  and  Travis  Streets. 
This  new  structure  rears  its  head  nine  stories  above  ground 
and  is  erected  on  a  lot  that  extends  145  feet  along  Franklin  and 
174  feet  along  Travis  Street.  There  is  a  basement,  a  sub- 
basement  and  still  a  third  basement  below  the  engine  room, 
making  in  all,  12  stories.  The  building  cost  $700,000. 

Work  was  started  September  1,  1910,  and  completed 
October,  1911. 

The  building  is  largely  of  steel  and  reinforced  construction 
throughout.  All  the  floors  are  of  reinforced  concrete.  The  steel 
work  is  encased  in  concrete.  Fireproof  tilling  is  extensively 
used.  The  third  and  fourth  floors  will  be  rented  for  office 
purposes,  and  part  of  the  first  floor  will  be  rented  for  store 
purposes.  The  building  is  equipped  with  its  own  refrigerating 
plant. 

The  Court  House,  while  one  of  the  most  substantially  con- 
structed buildings  to  be  found  anyhere,  still  belongs  to  what  is 
known  as  court-house  architecture.  In  this  instance,  however, 
the  architect  had  much  to  contend  with  as  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  the  Southern  Architectural  Review  in  which  the 
architects  explain  some  of  them:  "In  the  development  of  the 
architectural  scheme  for  the  Harris  County  Court  House,  certain 
requirements  were  laid  down  in  the  program  of  the  competition 
which  led  to  the  choosing  of  the  style  of  architecture,  which  had 
we  been  free,  would  perhaps  have  been  developed  along  different 


414  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

lines.  But  such  specific  demands  as  'A  large  dome'  and  'Col- 
umnated  facades'  could  hardly  be  disregarded.  However,  in 
order  to  give  structural  integrity  to  the  building  we  made  them 
of  masonry  bearings  rather  than  torture  classic  columns  with 
steel  structural  members. ' '  The  building  is  very  beautiful  and  is 
very  useful  as  well.  Houston's  public  buildings  are  described 
in  a  chapter  devoted  to  that  purpose. 

The  new  Federal  Building  is  a  typical  government  building, 
fashioned  on  classic  Roman  lines,  a  style  adopted  very  generally 
throughout  the  country  for  such  buildings. 

It  occupies  an  entire  block  of  ground  and  is  of  white  stone 
with  golden  oak  finish  throughout,  and  cost  the  government 
about  $450,000.  Federal  Square  is  almost  in  the  heart  of  the 
city,  being  bounded  by  Capitol,  San  Jacinto,  Rusk  and  Caroline 
Streets,  and  only  two  blocks  from  Main  Street. 

The  corridors  are  of  marble,  the  staff  work  is  of  the  finest, 
an  electric  vacuum  cleaning  system  with  pipes  extending  to 
every  part  of  the  building  has  been  installed  and  the  work  rooms 
are  light  and  airy.  The  building  is  fireproof  throughout  and  is 
both  impressive  and  beautiful. 

Houston's  apartment  houses  are  somewhat  in  a  class  by 
themselves,  for  they  are,  in  many  respects,  different  from  those 
of  other  cities.  The  architects  hav&  taken  advantage  of  the  tall 
buildings  and  arranged  the  light  courts  so  as  to  make  the.  most  of 
the  prevailing  southern  breeze.  The  Rossonian  is  a  fine  illustration 
of  the  idea;  it  stands  as  a  perfect  type  of  the  apartment  house 
for  this  climate,  and  is  the  most  exclusive  apartment  house  in  the 
entire  South.  In  fact,  in  ranks  on  even  terms  with  the  best 
afforded  by  New  York,  Chicago  and  other  large  cities  of  the  East 
and  Middle  West.  Since  its  opening  in  the  spring  of  1911,  the 
Rossonian  has  been  the  scene  of  many  functions.  The  building 
stands,  seven  stories  and  basement  high,  on  Fannin  Street,  oppo- 
site the  new  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Building,  and 
over  $500,000  was  expended  in  its  erection.  So  thoroughly  up- 
to-date  is  the  Rossonian  that  in  each  suite  of  rooms  there  is  an 
individual,  up-to-date  ice  plant.  This  is  but  one  of  the  many 
novel  features  and  innovations. 


Architecture  and  Building  415 

There  are  a  total  of  74  apartments,  together  with  handsomely 
appointed  reception  rooms  and  hallways.  The  Rossonian  has  a 
private  roof  garden,  which  is  extensively  patronized  by  the  smart 
set  of  Texas  during  the  warmer  months. 

The  contractors  of  the  Rossonian  were  the  Fred  A.  Jones* 
Building  Company.  The  firm  of  Sanguinet  &  Staats  did  the 
architectural  work. 

The  Savoy  Flats,  located  at  Main  Street  and  Pease  Avenue, 
were  opened  in  1909  and  since  that  time  have  been  exceedingly 
popular  among  those  who  seek  modern  apartment  houses.  The 
building  is  of  seven  stories  and  contains  19  housekeeping 
apartments,  together  with  four  bachelor's  apartments.  The  cost 
of  the  land  upon  which  the  flats  stand  and  the  cost  of  construction 
was  a  trifle  less  than  $200,000,  but  that  is  the  present  valuation 
of  the  property. 

Throughout  the  apartments  the  steel  and  conduit  system 
of  refrigeration  is  employed,  thus  affording  an  individual  ice 
making  plant  in  each  apartment. 

In  the  Beaconfield  Apartments  the  people  of  Houston  were 
given  an  apartment  house  par  excellence  and  a  building  that 
stands  out  prominently  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  city.  It  is 
eight  stories  high  and  was  opened  October,  1911.  The  cost  of 
construction  was  $150,000. 

These  apartments  stand  at  the  corner  of  Main  Street  and 
Pease  Avenue.  They  are  of  reinforced  concrete  and  steel  con- 

*Fred  A.  Jones,  president  of  The  Fred  A.  Jones  Company  and 
of  the  Fred  A.  Jones  Building  Company,  has  accomplished  great 
things  in  the  way  of  giving  concrete  beauty  and  stability  to  Houston's 
rapid  growth.  As  the  head  of  the  Fred  A.  Jones  Building  Company 
his  taste  and  talents  and  executive  ability  have  found  expression  in 
a  group  of  the  most  beautiful  and  modern  structures  of  Greater 
Houston. 

Fred  A.  Jones  is  the  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Jones  of 
Bonham,  Texas.  His  father  was  a  lumberman  and  came  to  Texas 
with  William  Cameron.  His  brothers  are  Hon.  Frank  C.  Jones  of 
the  firm  of  Gill  &  Jones,  a  former  law  partner  of  Governor  Hogg,  a 
brilliant  lawyer  and  a  thirty-third  degree  Mason,  and  C.  A.  Jones, 
a  successful  merchant  of  north 'Texas. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Dallas,  Texas,  August  23, 
1875.  His  childhood  was  spent  in  Bonham,  Texas,  where  at  the  age 
of  15  he  graduated  from  Fannin  College,  an  academy.  He  then 
attended  Richmond  College,  Virginia,  where  he  took  the  degree  of 
B.  A.,  in  1894.  At  college  he  became  a  member  of  the  Alpha  Kappa 


416  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

struction  throughout  and  fireproof.  Lines  employed  in  the 
most  modern  buildings  of  the  kind  were  followed  out. 

The  building  contains  16  large  suites.  In  each  suite  there 
are  six  main  rooms,  two  screened  balconies,  and  each  suite  is 
supplied  with  a  private  bath.  The  rooms  are  larger  than  is 
usually  the  case  in  an  up-to-date  apartment  house  and  the 
scheme  of  ventilation  could  not  be  imp  roved  upon. 

The  following  is  a  complete  list  of  Houston's  modern  apart- 
ment houses: 

Rossonian,  Fannin  Street  and  McKinney  Avenue;  The 
Beaconsfield,  Main  Street  and  Pease  Avenue;  The  Heisig,  San 
Jacinto  Street  and  Rusk  Avenue ;  The  Oxford,  Fannin  Street  and 
Clay  Avenue;  The  Montrose  Apartments,  Clay  Avenue;  The 
Colonial,  Lamar  Avenue ;  The  Leona,  Walnut  Street ;  The  Wilson 
Apartments,  Polk  Avenue ;  The  Gables,  McKinney  Avenue ;  The 
Butler  Flats,  Rusk  Avenue  and  Fannin  Streets;  The  Ivanhoe, 
La  Branch  Street  and  Lamar  Avenue;  Waverly  Terrace,  Milam 
Street  and  Lamar  Avenue;  The  Warrington,  Fannin  Street  and 
Bell  Avenue ;  The  Archer,  Lamar  Avenue  and  Louisiana  Street ; 
The  McAshan  Flats,  Main  Street;  The  McAshan  Apartments, 
Main  Street  and  Clay  Avenue;  The  Leeland,  Leeland  Avenue 
and  Caroline  Street ;  The  Sternenberg,  Milam  Street  and  Walker 
Avenue;  The  Hirsch  Flats,  Crawford  Street  and  Polk  Avenue; 
The  Hirsch  Apartments,  McGowan  Avenue  and  Fannin  Street; 
The  Seigle  Flats,  La  Branch  Street,  near  Congress  Avenue ;  The 

Chapter  of  Beta  Theta  Pi.  Following  a  professional  course  at  Cornell 
he  received,  in  1898,  the  degree  of  Electrical  and  Mechanical 
Engineer. 

Then  came  miscellaneous  engineering  and  suryeying  in  north 
Texas,  aiter  which,  in  January,  1900,  he  entered  the  Student's  Course  of 
the  General  Electric  Company  at  Schnectady,  N.  Y.,  because,  as  he  says, 
he  found  that  he  was  unable  to  solve  quickly  enough,  the  problems 
presented  to  him  in  his  miscellaneous,  civil,  electrical  and  mechanical 
engineering  practice  in  north  Texas.  He  remained  two  years  with 
the  General  Electric  Company,  spending  about  one  year  each  in  the 
Testing  Department,  and  in  the  Railway  Engineering  Department. 
Before  leaving  this  company,  which  .is  the  largest  electrical  manu- 
facturing concern  in  the  world,  he  was  sent  out  on  several  occasions 
to  analyze  and  report  on  the  engineering  features  of  street  railway 
properties,  and  returned  to  his  native  state  with  the  friendship  and 
endorsement  of  a  number  of  the  company's  officials. 

In  January,  1902,  after  a  study  of  the  various  cities  of  Texas. 
Mr.  Jones  opened  an  office  in  Houston,  with  practically  no  capital, 


Architecture  and  Building  417 

Levy  Flats,  Travis  Street  and  Rusk  Avenue;  The  Savoy,  Main 
Street  and  Pease  Avenue;  The  Corona,  Walker  Avenue,  near 
Main  Street;  The  Griffin  Flats,  Louisiana  Street,  near  Polk 
Avenue;  The  Ross  Flats,  Walker  Avenue  and  Louisiana  Street; 
The  Cawthon,  Main  Street  and  Walker  Avenue ;  The  Darlington, 
Lamar  Avenue  and  Crawford  Street. 

The  past  few  years  have  been  peculiarly  rich  in  the  produc- 
tion of  modern  buildings,  excellent  in  design,  substantial  in 
character  and  useful  to  the  last  degree  in  their  respective  fields. 

Houston's  new  ten-story  hotel,  known  as  the  Hotel  Bender, 
is  one  of  the  most  elegant  and  artistically  finished  buildings  in 
the  South.  It  is  ten  stories  in  height  with  full  basement.  It  is 
of  brick,  concrete  and  steel  construction  and  is  fireproof  in  every 
way.  Its  architecture  is  somewhat  different  from  that  usually 
employed  in  skyscraper  buildings,  and  an  effort  has  been  success- 
fully made  to  add  to  the  exterior  attractions  almost  as  much  as 
to  those  of  the  interior.  The  style  adopted  for  the  exterior  is 
Grecian  Doric  with  touches  of  Italian  Renaissance,  the  whole 
being  commercialized  to  meet  the  requirements  of  local  conditions 
and  modern  hotel  conveniences. 

The  exterior  color  scheme  is  very  pleasing,  being  composed 
of  rich  and  expensive  material,  granite  base  work,  columns,  terra 
cotta  trimmings  and  velvet  red  brick,  all  of  the  best  of  their 
respective  kinds,  while  the  workmanship  is  of  the  highest  order. 

But  the  interior  shows  best  the  skill  and  good  taste  of  the 

but  with  ambition,  determination  to  succeed,  and  unlimited  energy. 
He  operated  as  Consulting  Engineer,  building  the  Southern  Pacific 
Terminal  Company's  power  station  at  Galveston;  Corsicana  Gas  & 
Electric  Company's  power  station  and  a  number  of  other  plants,  and 
making  numerous  engineering  reports,  until  January,  1907,  when  The 
Fred  A.  Jones  Company  was  formed  with  an  authorized  capital  of 
$250,000.  This  Company  has  built  the  Dallas-Sherman  Interurban, 
two  state  railroads,  a  number  of  power  stations,  irrigation  plants,  etc., 
and  is  just  completing  the  White  Rock  Reservoir  for  the  city  of 
Dallas. 

Mr.  Jones,  with  characteristic  foresight,  anticipated  the  present 
era  of  heavy  building  construction  and  called  to  him  men  of  the 
highest  class  from  those  parts  of  the  country  which  had  done  the 
most  in  the  way  of  modern  building  construction.  In  1909  he 
incorporated  these  into  a  highly  efficient  working  organization 
entitled  the  Fred  A.  Jones  Building  Company,  Louis  Robert  Barras 
being  vice-president  and  general  manager.  Mr.  Barras  is  a  man  of 


418  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

architect,  and  the  art  of  the  decorator.  The  main  lobby  is 
carried  out  in  the  Grecian  Doric  order  correctly.  Selected  marble 
and  solid  bronze  ornamental  work  has  been  used  freely  in  the 
decorative  scheme,  while  the  Mezzanine  balconies  overlooking  the 
lobby  are  very  attractive. 

The  dining  room  is  constructed  strictly  and  correctly  in 
Louis  XVI  style  supplying  all  the  elaborate  details  required  by 
that  style.  It  is  beautifully  decorated  in  French  coloring'  and 
the  sixteen  or  eighteen  panels  above  the  mirror  line  are  hand 
decorated  in  oil  from  French  scenes  during  the  time  of  Louis 
XVI.  This  dining  room  is  really  a  work  of  art  and  is  one  of  the' 
most  elaborate  and  expensive  rooms  of  its  kind  to  be  found  any- 
where. The  kitchen  service  is  strictly  up-to-date  in  every  respect. 
The  large  Dutch  grill  room  in  the  basement  is  one  of  the  striking 
features  of  the  building.  It  is  thoroughly  lighted,  ventilated  and 
beautifully  decorated  in  Dutch  design.  The  furniture  is  all 
Dutch.  There  is  a  very  complete  gas  grill  made  entirely  of 
copper,  nickel  plate,  tile  and  plate  glass. 

The  parlors  are  located  on  the  second  floor,  facing  the  eleva- 
tors and  are  furnished  in  Louis  XVI  style.  On  the  tenth  floor 
a  large  banquet  and  ball  room  is  located,  having  special  reception 
rooms  for  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The  decorations  of  the  ball 
room  are  very  elaborate,  the  decorative  scheme  being  that  of 
Louis  XVI.  Special  furniture  and  other  equipments  have  been 
provided,  all  in  keeping  with  the  style  of  the  room.  There  are 

unusual  building  experience  and  ability,  having  constructed  numerous 
tall  buildings  in  both  the  East  and  West. 

This  company  has  met  with  marked  success  and  has  constructed 
among  other  buildings,  the  Bender  Hotel,  the  Rossonian  Apartments, 
the  Sunset  Hospital,  the  Southwestern  Telephone  Building,  the  First 
Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  all  in  Houston;  the  new  Country  Club 
in  Dallas,  which  is  not  only  the  finest  structure  of  its  kind  in  the 
South,  but  one  of  the  best  in  the  whole  country. 

In  1911,  a  branch  office  was  opened  in  Birmingham,  Ala.,  and 
the  construction  of  the  twenty-story  American  Trust  Savings  Bank 
and  office  building  was  undertaken,  at  the  same  time  a  branch  office 
in  southwest  Texas  was  established  to  care  for  the  construction  of 
the  Nueces  Hotel  at  Corpus  Christi  and  the  Southwestern  Telephone 
Exchange  at  the  same  place. 

On  September  5,  1910,  Mr0  Jones  was  married  to  Miss  Gussie 
Holland,  of  Dallas.  Miss  Holland  is  the  daughter  of  Hon.  Frank 
P.  Holland,  formerly  Mayor  of  Dallas,  the  owner  of  "The  Farm  & 
Ranch"  and  "Holland's  Magazine." 


Architecture  and  Building  419 

two  private  dining  rooms  on  the  tenth  floor  also,  each  beautifully 
finished.  There  is  also  dining  space  on  the  roof,  where  there  is 
a  charming  roof  garden. 

There  are  260  rooms  nearly  every  one  having  a  private  bath. 
In  addition  there  are  twelve  large  sample  rooms.  The  furniture 
of  the  rooms  is  solid  mahogany. 

Mechanical  devices  also  are  strictly  up-to-date.  The  build- 
ing is  equipped  with  automatic  air- washing  and  cooling  and 
ventilating  machines  which  do  away  with  the  use  of  unsightly 
electric  fans.  The  heating  for  winter  is  equally  as  effective  as  the 
cooling  for  summer.  The  elevator  service  is  first  class  and  in 
keeping  with  the  magnificence  of  the  building.  The  cost  of  the 
building,  exclusive  of  the  cost  of  the  ground  was  $60U,000. 

In  the  construction  of  the  new  Rice  Hotel  the  architects  have 
been  given  something  of  a  free  hand,  and  when  completed,  while 
its  exterior  will  not  differ  greatly  from  the  ordinary  skyscraper, 
its  interior  will  be  all  that  the  most  fastidious  taste  could  demand. 
Towering  eighteen  stories  above  a  two-story  basement  and 
crowned  by  a  handsome  tile  roof  garden,  it  will  be,  to  the  very 
last  detail,  a  type  of  the  great  modern  hotel.  The  main  entrance 
on  Texas  Avenue,  and  the  side  entrance  on  Main  Street  will  open 
into  the  splendid  lobby  of  white  Italian  marble  surmounted  by 
artistic  mural  decorations,  with  a  ceiling  of  picturesque  frescoing. 
Adjoining  the  office  will  be  the  rooms  occupied  by  telephone 
booths,  telegraph  offices,  a  carriage  office  and  well  appointed  -writ- 
ing rooms  and  library,  and  to  the  rear  of  these  will  be  the  grill 
and  bar.  There  are  to  be  four  cafes,  beautifully  decorated  and 

Mr.  Jones,  while  a  successful  business  and  professional  man, 
has  never  subordinated  his  life  to  mere  success  in  business.  He  has 
taken  an  active  and  prominent  part  in  social  and  club  affairs  wherever 
he  has  been.  He  is  an  excellent  golf  player,  a  fine  host  and  a 
charming  after-dinner  speaker,  and  withal  is  fond  of  home  and  devoted 
to  his  family  interests.  He  has  a  well  selected  and  well  read  library. 
Mr.  Jones  is  a  fine  type  of  the  new  Sou'thern  Gentleman,  combining 
the  high  sense  of  honor  and  the  personal  charm  of  manner  of  the 
old-time  Southerner  with  exceptional  business  ability  and  energy. 
Perhaps,  on  the  whole,  he  owes  most .  of  his  success  to  those  old 
family  traits  which  have  caused  him  to  act  always  with  absolute 
integrity  to  a  client's  interest,  regardless  of  his  own  apparent  welfare, 
although  he  will  insist  that  his  success  is  due  entirely  to  the  talent 
and  loyalty  of  the  men  around  him. 


420  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

fulfilling  all  needs,  from  the  gentlemen's  grill  and  breakfast  room, 
to  the  elegant  palm  room  and  dining  hall,  all  arranged  and  located 
to  best  serve  the  convenience  of  all  classes  of  patrons.  In  addition 
to  these  there  will  be  the  private  dining  rooms,  in  size  and 
appointment  suitable  to  the  smallest  dinner  party  or  to  the  most 
elaborate  banquet.  One  of  the  most  marked  features  will  be 
the  great  banquet  hall  and  concert  room.  This  will  be  so  arranged 
that  it  will  serve  both  for  private  and  public  entertainments. 

The  building  will  have  525  rooms,  450  of  them  having  private 
baths.  Adequate  elevator  service  will  be  provided.  A  new 
feature  will  be  the  establishing  of  kitchens  on  every  floor  for  the 
purpose  of  serving  meals  in  the  rooms. 

The  roof  garden  will  be  a  garden  in  fact  and  not  one  alone 
in  name.  Situated  at  a  height  of  about  300  feet  above  the  noise 
and  bustle  of  the  streets,  with  ornamental  lights,  flowers,  palms 
and  an  excellent  orchestra  it  will  be  a  most  attractive  spot.  Prom 
basement  to  top  the  new  hotel  will  be  constructed  for  the  comfort 
and  convenience  of  its  guests,  and  when  completed,  will  be 
one  of  the  finest  and  most  beautiful  hotel  buildings  in  the  South. 

The  building  will  front  about  175  feet  on  Texas  Avenue 
and  about  125  feet  on  Main  Street.  Including  the  ground,  the 
entire  cost  will  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  $3,500,000,  the  con- 
struction alone  being  $2,000,000.  Mr.  Jesse  H.  Jones  is  the 
moving  spirit  in  this  great  undertaking,  as  he  has  been  in  so  many 
others  that  had  for  their  object  the  upbuilding  of  this  city. 

The  success  of  the  Houston  architects  in  getting  away  from 
the  stereotype  church  architecture  has  been  marked,  as  is  evi- 
denced by  the  number  of  original  and  beautiful  edifices  they  have 
constructed. 

Probably  the  most  interesting  group  of  ecclesiastical  build- 
ings in  the  city  is  the  Christ  Church  group.  This  is  composed  of 
the  church  proper,  parish  house  and  rectory.  The  church  is  of  the 
perpendicular  Gothic,  executed  in  red  brick  and  sandstone.  The 
other  buildings  are  of  the  same  general  order,  modified  some- 
what to  meet  the  limitations  of  the  brick  with  which  they  are 
built.  Incongruous  as  are  their  surroundings,  the  vine-covered 
church  and  rectory,  with  the  deep  cloister  of  the  parish  house 


Architecture  and  Building  421 

between,  form  an  architectural  group  that  has  no  superior  in 
Houston. 

The  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  is  another  beautiful 
building,  distinctive  in  design.  Its  architecture  is  Roman  Doric, 
which  has  been,  adhered  to  very  closely.  It  is  constructed  of 
stone,  terra  cotta  and  gray  brick.  The  setting  of  the  building 
is  fine,  for  it  is  surrounded  by  large  trees  that  lend  a  color  and 
charm  that  are  very  pleasing. 

In  the  St.  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  the  architec- 
tural lines  follow  those  of  the  Italian  renaissance,  though  the 
building,  as  a  whole,  is  patterned  after  the  Roman  temples.  The 
dome  is  Byzantine. 

The  First  Methodist  Church  follows  the  early  English 
Gothic,  adhering  to  that  architectural  scheme,  both  within  and 
without,  with  absolute  fidelity. 

The  Central  Christian  Church  is  an  adaptation  of  the  Roman. 

The  Temple  Beth  Israel  is  Byzantine  though  patterned  after 
an  Americanized  version  of  that  style  adopted  by  many  Jewish 
synagogues  over  the  country.  • 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church,  while  following  the  Italian 
renaissance  architecture  shows  clearly  other  influences.  It  is 
considered  one  of  the  most  unique  structures  of  its  kind  in  the 
South,  for  while  the  Gothic  architecture  always  calls  for  the  lofty 
tower,  this  church  has  the  tower,  but  instead  of  employing  the 
Teutonic  influence  the  architect  has  used  that  of  the  very  early 
Roman. 

The  Church  of  the  Annunciation  is  strictly  Italian  Gothic. 

With  the  advent  of  suburban  additions,  beautified  by  land- 
scape effects,  an  architecture  representing  a  new  manner  of  living 
and  action  has  come  and  is  gradually  transforming  the  appear- 
ance of  the  city.  The  country  club  was  the  first  step  in  that 
direction  and  has  served  as  an  example  for  much  that  has  fol- 
lowed in  the  movement  towards  suburban  and  country  homes. 

Among  the  handsome  new  buildings  is  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
an  exclusive  association  building,  on  McKinney  Avenue  and 
Fannin  Street.  It  is  modernly  equipped  in  all  its  appointments 
and  cost  $200,000.  It  was  erected  in  1907-08. 


422      ,  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

The  building  is  five  stories  in  height  and  includes  a 
magnificent  lobby  and  reading  room  on  the  first  floor,  gym- 
nasium, bowling  alleys,  swimming  pool,  handball  court,  baths, 
lockers  and  dressing  rooms  and  a  full  athletic,  complement.  On 
the  second  and  part  of  the  third  floors  are  assembly  rooms,  study 
and  class  rooms.  A  part  of  the  third  floor  and  all  of  the 
fourth  and  fifth  are  devoted  to  apartments  for  men.  In  all 
there  are  ninety-one  rooms,  providing  ample  accommodations 
for  about  125  men.  All  of  the  rooms  ,are  uniform  in  size  and 
are  neatly  furnished  according  to  a  man's  notion  of  comfort. 

Light  colored  pressed  brick  and  marble  were  used  in  its 
construction.  It  contains  66,000  square  feet  of  floor  space  and 
is  the  largest  Association  building  in  the  South. 

The  question  of  architecture  was  one  of  the  first  problems 
that  confronted  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Wm.  M.  Rice  Insti- 
tute. They  early  decided  that  the  new  institution  should  be 
housed  in  architecture  worthy  of  the  founder's  high  aims,  and 
upon  this  idea  they  entered  with  no  lower  ambition  than  to 
establish  on  the  campus  of  the  institution  a  group  of  buildings 
conspicuous  alike  for  their  beauty  and  their  usefulness,  which 
should  stand  not  only  as  a  monument  to  the  founder's  philan 
thropy  but  also  as  a  distinct  contribution  to  the  architecture  of 
our  country.  With  this  end  in  view  they  adopted  a  general 
architectural  plan  embodying  the  educational  program  which  had 
been  adopted  by  the  institute.  Such  a  general  plan,  exhibiting 
in  itself  the  most  attractive  elements  of  the  architecture  of  Italy, 
France  and  Spain,  was  adopted  by  the  board  in  1910. 

Immediately  thereafter  plans  and  specifications  for  an 
administration  building  were  prepared  and  the  contract  awarded. 
Soon  after  the  contract  for  the  mechanical  laboratory,  machine 
shop  and  power  house  was  let.  The  architecture  of  the  Adminis- 
tration Building  shows  borrowings  from  the  best  periods  of  many 
southern  countries.  Round  Byzantine  arches  on  cloistered  walks, 
exquisite  brick  work  of  Dalmation  design  are  features,  together 
with  Spanish  and  Italian  elements  in  profusion ;  all  in  a  richness 
of  color  permissible  nowhere  save  in  a  climate  similar  to  that  of 
south  Texas.  The  dominant  tone  is  established  by  the  use  of  a 


Architecture  and  Building  423 

local  pink  brick,  a  delicately  tinted  marble  from  the  Ozark 
Mountains  and  Texas  granite,  though  the  color  scheme  under- 
goes considerable  variation  by  the  free  use  of  tiles  and  foreign 
marbles.  To  meet  the  local  climatic  conditions  there  are  in  the 
building  many  windows  and  loggias  and  a  long,  broad  cloister 
open  to  the  prevailing  winds. 

The  Laboratory  is  to  be  a  two-story,  fireproof  building  200 
feet  long  and  forty  feet  deep,  with  a  cloistered  walk  extending 
its  full  length  on  the  court  side,  and  will  be  built  of  materials 
similar  to  those  in  the  Administration  Building.  The  machine 
shop,  adjoining  the  Mechanical  Laboratory  in  the  rear  connects 
it  with  the  power  house.  The  lofty  campanile  of  this  group, 
visible  for  miles  in  every  direction,  will  be  the  most  conspicuous 
tower  of  the  institute.  These  with  the  students'  hall  are  the 
only  buildings  under  construction  at  present,  but  when  all  are 
completed,  the  harmonious  architectural  effect  will  be  seen  to 
advantage  and  will  form  one  of  the  greatest,  external  attrac- 
tions of  this  great  institution. 

Houston  is  rapidly  becoming  a  city  of  beautiful  homes,  and, 
judging  by  the  record  made  within  the  four  years  ending  July 
31,  1911,  the  growth  and  expansion  in  building  have  just  begun. 
The  records  of  the  building  inspectors  office  show  that  during  the 
fiscal  year,  ending  February  28,  1907,  $892,000  was  spent  on 
residences  in  Houston,  while  the  same  records  show  that  during 
the  year  ending  February  28,  1911,  $1,200,000  was  spent  on 
residences.  The  records  show  that  during  the  last  decade  Hous- 
tonians  have  invested  $9,000,000  in  homes  of  all  kinds,  from  the 
humble  cottage  to  the  palatial  residence.  Of  the  latter  class 
Houston  has  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  expensive  in  the 
South.  In  the  fashionable  sections  of  the  city  are  residences  that 
have  cost  from  $50,000  to  $75,000  and  quite  a  number  of  others 
whose  cost  was  very  little  below  these  figures.  All  styles  of  archi- 
tecture and  all  kinds  of  building  material  have  been  used.  There 
has  been  a  great  variety  of  taste  shown,  with  a  result  that  is 
really  pleasing  since  it  prevents  anything  like  monotony  or 
sameness.  During  the  year  closing  July  31,  1911,  there 
were  931  permanent  permits  for  buildings  and  im- 


424  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

provements  issued  at  the  city  hall,  classified  as  follows: 
One  nine-story  steel  office  building,  to  cost  $512,793.00;  one 
twelve-story  steel  bank  and  office  building,  to  cost  $400,000.00: 
one  ten-story  hotel  building,  to  cost  $30,000.00;  one  seven-story 
telephone  building,  to  cost  $150,000.00 ;  one  eight-story  apartment 
house,  to  cost  $100,000.00 ;  one  six-story  reinforced  concrete  build- 
ing, to  cost  $77,850.00 ;  one  six-story  brick  and  steel  hotel  build- 
ing, to  cost  $70,000.00;  one  church  (Sacred  Heart),  to  cost 
$56,000.00 ;  one  three-story  cold  storage  plant,  to  cost  $50,000.00 ; 
one  church  (Christian  Science),  to  cost  $38,800.00;  one  two-story 
telephone  building,  to  cost  $33,000.00;  one  four-story  concrete 
warehouse,  to  cost  $26,000.00;  one  three-story  brick  building,  to 
cost  $25,000.00;  one  two-story  depot  and  car  shed,  to  cost  $20,- 
000.00;  one  two-story  brick  warehouse,  to  cost  $18,000.00;  one 
three-story  reinforced  concrete  wagon  factory,  to  cost  $18,000.00 ; 
one  four-story  brick  building,  to  cost  $17,000.00 ;  one  three-story 
reinforced  concrete  coffee  plant,  to  cost  $15,000.00;  one  two- 
story  addition  to  power  plant,  to  cost  $15,000.00;.  one  one-story 
brick  building,  to  cost  $13,000.00 ;  one  one-  and  two-story  .brick 
building,  to  cost  $12,000.00;  one  one-story  brick  building,  to 
cost  $10,000.00 ;  one  two-story  brick  building,  to  cost  $10,000.00 ; 
one  one-story  brick  building;  to  cost  $8,000.00;  one  addition  to 
elevator  factory,  to  cost  $6,000.00;  five  flat  buildings,  to  cost 
$59,300.00;  eight  one-  and  two-story  brick  buildings,  to  cost 
$43,800.00;  thirteen  one-  and  two-story  frame  store  buildings, 
to  cost  $19,100.00 ;  four  remodeling,  to  cost  $12,300.00 ;  one  veter- 
inary hospital,  to  cost  $9,725.00;  4  churches,  to  cost  $9,900.00; 
seventeen  warehouses,  to  cost  $18,200.00;  four  schools,  to  cost 
$4,447.00;  two  factories,  to  cost  $2,575.00;  nineteen  garages,  to 
cost  $2,175.00;  four  offices,  to  cost  $1,185.00;  two  club  houses, 
to  cost  $2,800.00;  one  machine  shop,  to  cost  $1,000.00;  one  cotton 
shed,  to  cost  $1,000.00;  one  foundation,  to  cost  $2,000.00;  one 
blacksmith  shop,  to  cost  $250.00 ;  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
two-story  residences,  to  cost  $665,105.00;  496  cottages,  to  cost 
$472,800.00;  ninety-six  stables,  sheds  and  miscellaneous,  to  cost 
$19,385.  As  the  registration  permit  fee  is  increased  with  each 
$1,000  of  construction  cost,  the  sums  given  always  represent  a 
minimum. 


Houston  Gets  Lowest  Rate  of  Fire  Insurance  Premium.  Fire 
Fighting  Apparatus.  Early  Fire  Insurance.  Planters  Fire 
Insurance  Company.  Purchase  of  Bogus  Bonds  Destroyed 
Houston  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company.  Guarantee 
Life  Insurance  Company.  Remarkable  Prosperity  of  the 
Great  Southern  Company. 


An  insurance  company  is  not  a  charitable  institution  going 
about  doing  good  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  the  thing.  It  does  not 
sign  an  agreement  to  give  a  person  so  much  money  in  case  his 
property  is  destroyed  by  fire,  and  then  sit  down  with  him  and 
wait  for  the  disaster.  The  company  will  sign  the  agreement,  but 
when  it  does  so  it  will  expect  and  demand  that  the  person  who 
is  to  be  benefitted  and  the  community  in  which  he  resides,  shall 
do  all  possible  to  prevent  the  disaster.  The  company  will  protect 
a  person  against  losses,  but  will,  at  the  same  time,  demand  that  it, 
itself,  be  protected. 

Wherever  a  community  makes  ample  provision  against  the 
danger  of  fire,  the  insurance  companies  encourage  the  citizens  to 
insure  their  property,  by  giving  to  such  community  a  low  rate 
of  insurance  premium,  and  since  Houston  has  received  the  lowest 
rate,  it  is  self-evident  that  all  the  requirements  of  the 
National  Board  of  Fire  Insurance  Underwriters,  for  a  city  of 
100,000  inhabitants,  have  been  complied  with. 

During  the  decade  from  1901  to  1911,  there  has  been  a 
healthy  growth  in  Houston's  facilities  for  fighting  fire.  In 
1901,  Houston  had  eight 'stations,  twenty  pieces  of  fire-fighting 
apparatus,  13,000  feet  of  hose  and  sixty  paid  men.  In  1911, 
there  are  nine  stations,  thirty  pieces  of  apparatus,  30,000  feet 
of  hose  and  104  paid  men. 


426  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

The  water  supply  in  1901,  consisted  of  a  pumping  capacity 
of  13,000,000  gallons  of  water  and  579  fire  hydrants.  In  1911, 
the  pumping  capacity  is  29,000,000  gallons  daily,  with  843  fire 
hydrants  and  97.8  miles  of  water  mains  in  service.  There  are  156 
fire-alarm,  boxes,  and  ninety  miles  of  paved  streets.  Every  detail 
of  the  fire  department  is  carefully  looked  after  and  kept  in  per- 
fect order.  Every  fire  hydrant  is  flushed  and  tested  daily  by  a 
force  of  men  employed  for  that  work  only. 

That,  in  a  few  words,  is  the  Houston  of  today,  but  it  has  not 
always  been  so  well  equipped,  nor  has  there  been  a  need  or 
demand  for  such  perfection.  Fire  insurance  in  Houston  is 
possibly  as  old  as  the  city  itself.  There  is  no  record  of  the  fact, 
however,  for  the  first  local  agent  for  any  company  was  Mr.  John 
Dickinson,  who  began  i-suing  policies  about  1858.  Before  that, 
all  the  insurance  obtained  by  local  merchants  and  traders  was 
had  direct  from  agencies  or  companies  located  in  New  Orleans. 
In  those  earlier  days  insurance  was  on  a  small  scale  and  kept 
pace  with  the  accumulation  of  mercantile  stocks,  and  accumula- 
tion of  cotton  and  other  products  of  the  farms  and  plantations 

Soon  after  the  establishment  of  the  local  agency  by  Mr. 
Dickinson  and  just  about  the  time  that  he  was  doing  a  good 
and  substantial  business,  the  war  occurred,  which,  of  course, 
rendered  all  insurance  moribund.  After  the  declaration  of  peace, 
many  agencies  were  established  here  and  for  several  years  the 
insurance  business  was  conducted  by  the  following  firms  and 
individuals :  0.  L.  Cochran,  A.  L.  Steele  &  Co.,  S.  0.  Cotton  & 
Bro.,  Childress  &  Taylor,  and  Raphael  Brothers.  All  these,  with 
the  exception  of  A.  L.  Steele  &  Co.,  are  still  in  business.  Besides 
these  there  are  about  twenty-five  insurance  agencies  doing  busi- 
ness in  Houston. 

Soon  after  the  war,  about  1868,  the  Planters '  Fire  Insurance 
Company  of  Houston  was  organized,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$100,000  and  did  business  until  about  1880  when  the  company 
went  into  voluntary  liquidation,  following  a  disastrous  cotton 
fire.  Capt.  E.  M.  Longcope  was  president  of  this  company  and 
among  its  directors  were  E.  H.  Gushing,  B.  A.  Botts,  W.  R. 


Insurance  427 

Baker,  S.  L.  Allen,  T.  M.  Bagby  and  other  old  citizens,  none  of 
whom  survive. 

About  the  year  1895,  the  Houston  Fire  and  Marine  Insur- 
ance Company  was  organized  and  did  business  for  several  years. 
Through  a  lot  of  bogus  Austin  City  bonds  which  were  innocently 
purchased  by  this  company,  it  was  forced  to  make  a  disastrous 
and  rather  ser.salional  failure  a  few  years  ago. 

As  no  statistics  are  available  as  to  the  volume  of  insurance 
premiums  received  in  Houston  annually  by  the  various  local  agen- 
cies, who  represent  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  fire  insurance 
companies,  it  cannot  be  recorded  with  accuracy  what  the  total 
sum  is.  From  a  comparison  of  the  business  done  by  the  leading 
agencies  here,  it  is  thought  that  the  premium  receipts  will  run 
over  $1,000,000  per  year. 

It  is  somewhat  strange  that  with  so  inviting  a  field  as  it  is, 
Houston  should  have  had  no  local  life  insurance  company  until 
1906.  In  that  year  the  Guarantee  Life  Insurance  Company  was 
organized  with  a  capital  of  $100,000  and  at  once  became  very 
prosperous,  doing  a  large  business.  It  is  now  five  years  old  and 
in  addition  to  its  capital  stock  it  has  a  surplus  of  $80,000  and 
has  $13,000,000  insurance  in  force.  Its  officers  are:  Jonathan 
Lane,  president ;  John  H.  Thompson,  vice-president ;  Chas.  Boed- 
eker,  secretary-treasurer. 

The  Great  Southern  Life  Insurance  Company  is  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  organizations  of  its  kind  in  existence.  It 
was  organized  on  November  1,  1909,  and  is  therefore  only  two 
years  old,  and  yet  the  amount  of  business  it  has  already  done 
creates  admiration  and  amazement  even  in  large  insurance  cen- 
ters, as  nothing  like  it  has  ever  been  seen  before.  It  has  a  capital 
«tock  of  $500,000  and  a  surplus  of  $500,000  and  has  $10,000,000 
insurance  in  force.  A  remarkable  feature  about  it  is  the  large 
number  of  those  among  its  patrons  who  are  insured  for  large 
amounts.  It  has  over  fifty  policy  holders  who  are  insured  for 
$25,000  or  more,  and  one  who  is  insured  for  $100,000.  This 
last  is  the  first  and  only  policy  for  so  large  an  amount  ever  writ- 
ten for  one  person  by  a  Texas  company. 

The  phenomenal  growth  of  this  company  is  shown  by  the 


428  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

following  statement:  From  its  organization,  November  1,  1909 
to  December  31,  1909,  the  company  wrote  $1,020,000  new  business. 
During  the  first  half  of  1910,  the  new  business  amounted  to 
$3,028,000,  while  during  the  first  half  of  1911,  it  amounted  to 
$4,048,000,  showing  a  gain  of  33  per  cent. 

The  " Index,"  published  by  the  Spectator  Company  of  New 
York,  contains  the  official  reports  of  181  American  life  insurance 
companies,  all  being  in  active  operation  January  1,  1911.  Of 
this  number  106  paid  for  less  business  during  the  entire  year  of 
1910  than  the  Great  Southern  wrote  during  the  first  half  of  1911. 

This  company  is  making  life  insurance  history  at  a  rapid 
rate.  Its  officers  are:  J.  S.  Rice,  president;  0.  S.  Carlton,  C. 
G.  Pillot,  J.  S.  Cullinan,  and  P.  H.  McFadden,  of  Beaumont, 
Texas,  vice-presidents;  J.  T.  Scott,  treasurer;  Louis  St.  J. 
Thomas,  secretary. 

All  the  great  insurance  companies  that  are  permitted  under 
Texas  laws  to  do  business  in  the  state  have  capable  local  agents 
in  Houston  who  write  a  great  amount  of  business. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

Theatres 


Santa  Anna  Broke  up  First  Theatre  Project.  The  Thompson 
and  Buckley  Theatres.  The  Gray  Opera  House.  Early 
Amateur  Dramatic  Clubs.  Academy  of  Music  First  Local 
Home  of  Vaudeville.  The  Beautiful  New  Majestic  Theatre. 
The  Prince  Theatre.  The  Old  Majestic.  The  New  Cozy. 
Moving  Picture  Shows  and  Stock  Companies. 


Only  one  month  and  two  days  after  Texas  declared  her  in- 
dependence, an  enterprising  theatrical  manager,  a  Mr.  G.  L. 
Lyons  declared  that  he  was  going  to  establish  the  first  theatre 
in  the  new  republic,  at  Harrisburg,  and  that  he  would  give  the 
first  performance  about  the  first  of  May,  1836.  He  issued  a 
long  announcement  of  his  intention.  Evidently  he  did  not  con- 
sult Santa  Anna,  for  the  sudden  appearance  of  that  gentleman 
on  the  scene  seems  to  have  so  disarranged  his  plans  that  nothing 
beyond  the  announcement  of  intentions  was  ever  heard  of  him 
afterwards.  Theatrical  performances  early  got  a  hold  on  the 
people  of  Houston  and  the  fever  has  never  been  allowed  to  die 
down. 

An  account  of  the  theatre  in  the  days  of  the 
republic  appears  in  an  earlier  chapter  of  this  volume. 
The  first  really  good  theatre  erected  in  Houston  was 
located  in  a  building  that  Mr.  James  Thompson  put  up  in 
1854.  Mr.  Thompson  owned  four  or  five  lots  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  block  on  the  south  side  of  Texas  Avenue,  opposite 
the  old  Capital  Hotel,  and  on  three  of  these  he  erected  a  large 
house.  It  was  three  stories  high  in  the  middle,  facing  Main 
Street,  and  had  two  stories  on  each  side.  The  theatre  was  located 
on  the  third  floor  in  the  center,  and  was  a  large  hall  with 
a  good  stage  at  one  end.  Some  very  good  performances  were 


430  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

given  in  this  theatre.  In  1859,  this  theatre  was  destroyed  by  fire 
and  was  never  rebuilt,  but  Colonel  Buckley  put  in  a  theatre  in 
a  brick  building  that  he  erected  about  that  time  located  in  the 
middle  of  the  block  on  the  southwest  side  of  Main  Street,  between 
Congress  and  Franklin  Avenues.  This  place  was  never  popular 
and  was  seldom  used  for  the  purposes  for  which  it  had  been 
planned. 

About  the  same  time  the  Perkins  Theatre,  or  as  it  was  called, 
Perkins  Hall  was  built.  This  hall  was  large  and  comfortably 
arranged  and  proved  to  be  very  valuable  and  useful  for  those 
who  were  giving  concerts,  fairs  and  bazaars,  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  money  for  the  soldiers  during  the  war.  After  the  war, 
the  Gray  Opera  house  was  built  in  the  middle  of  the  block  on 
the  west  side  of  Court  House  Square.  Then  the  pretty  little 
theatre  in  the  Market  House  was  built.  There  have  been  others 
constructed  from  time  to  time,  important  in  their  time,  among 
them  being  the  Old  Majestic  described  elsewhere,  the  Houston 
Theatre,  which  was  the  principal  theatre  of  the  city  when  it  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1908,  and  the  New  Majestic,  the  Prince  and 
Uie  Cozy  theatres  all  of  which  are  described  in  this  chapter. 

Houstonians  have  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  nearly  all  the 
great  actors  and  singers  of  the  world,  who  are  native  Americans 
or  who  have  visited  America.  In  1859,  Jenny  Lind  sang  here 
in  the  old  Academy.  Patti,  Nielson  and  scores  of  other  world- 
famed  singers  have  visited  Houston,  while  Booth,  McCullough, 
Barrett  and  hundreds  of  other  great  actors  have  played  here. 

Houston  early  had  an  amateur  dramatic  club  as  the  follow- 
ing letter,  printed  in  the  Telegraph  of  February  17,  1845,  shows : 

' '  Houston,  February  16,  1845.  To  the  Hon.  Francis  Moore, 
Jr.,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Houston.  Sir : — In  behalf  of  the  Hous- 
ton Dramatic  Society,  and  in  furtherance  of  a  resolution  of  the 
'  corps,  we  herewith  place  at  your  disposal  the  sum  of  thirty 
dollars  (which  amount  exceeds  the  net  proceeds  from  the  per- 
forance  of  the  last  play)  to  be  appropriated  by  yourself  for  the 
relief  of  the  indigent  of  the  city  and  county.  You  will  exercise 


Theatres  431 

your  own  judgment  in  deciding  who  are  worthy  to  be  recipients 
and  to  whom  charity  should  be  a  blessing. 

"If  we  needed  any  apology  for  charging  you  with  the  dis- 
bursement of  our  inconsiderable  donation,  we  would  find  it  in 
the  industry  and  humanity  evinced  in  your  conduct  when  sim- 
ilar objects  have  demanded  and  received  your  attention.  Respect- 
fully, your  obedient  servants,  Thomas  M.  Bagby,  president ;  Wm. 
R.  Baker,  secretary." 

There  were  other  amateur  associations  formed  afterwards 
in  Houston,  the  most  important  being  the  Magnolia  Histrionic 
Club,  which  had  great  success  in  1878,  and  for  some  years  after. 
In  the  early  eighties  Judge  John  Kirlicks  and  the  lamented  D. 
D.  Bryan,  were  leading  lights  in  this  club  and  did  much  to 
add  to  its  prominence  and  success.  Mr.  Bryan's  removal  from 
the  city  for  a  few  years  proved  fatal  to  the  club  and  it  soon 
ceased  to  be  an  active  body. 

About  the  same  time  the  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Club  came 
into  prominence.  This  club,  after  a  few  successful  years,  was 
allowed  to  die  out. 

Mr.  Ed.  Bremond,  son  of  the  "Texas  Railroad  King,"  was 
the  first  to  establish  vaudeville  in  Houston.  In  September,  1873, 
he  opened  the  Academy  of  Music  which  was  located  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  Main  Street  and  Prairie  Avenue.  He  had 
quite  a  number  of  ' '  artists, ' '  among  them  Milt  Barlow,  who  had 
his  start  in  Houston,  under  Mr.  Bremond,  and  afterwards 
became  famous  as  an  impersonator  of  aged  negroes.  His  song 
' '  Old  Black  Joe, ' '  became  one  of  the  classics  of  negro  minstrelsy. 

The  Academy  was  quite  successful  for  a  short  time  but  soon 
degenerated  and  dropped  down  to  what  is  known  as  the  variety 
class,  and  proved  a  failure.  Another  vaudeville,  on  a  somewhat 
lower  plane,  was  Bell's  Theatre,  which  held  forth  for  years  on 
Texas  Avenue  across  the  street  from  the  Rice  Hotel.  It  was 
afterwards  moved  to  Franklin  Avenue,  opposite  the  Hutchin's 
House.  In  1893  it  was  closed  by  the  city  authorities  but  was. 
reopened  at  once  by  an  injunction.  It  was  finally  closed  on 
the  death  of  the  proprietor. 

Of  the  theatres  in  service  in  Houston  the  only  one  that 


432  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

justifies  much  local  pride  is  the  New  Majestic,  built  on  the  site 
of  the  old  Shearn  Church  on  the  corner  of  Texas  Avenue  and 
Milam  Street  and  completed  in  1910.  Its  cost  of  $300,000  will 
doubtless  prohibit  its  ever  becoming  a  great  revenue  producer 
but  it  is  a  model  of  construction  and  comfort  and  is  a  place  of 
amusement  that  for  beauty  compares  favorably  with  any  theatre 
of  its  capacity  in  any  country.  The  builder  was  Jesse  H.  Jones 
and  the  structure  represents  local  pride  and  patriotism  for  it 
was  meant  to  give  the  city  a  place  of  amusement  second  to 
none. 

Actors  praise  it,  for  every  comfort  has  been  provided  for 
them,  both  in  the  modern  dressing  rooms  and  on  the  large  fully- 
equipped  stage.  The  public  appreciates  it  because  in  the  whole 
house  there  is  no  angle,  no  obstructing  pillar,  nor  column  and 
no  seat  that  does  not  furnish  a  good  view  of  the  stage. 

The  numerous  exits,  ample  fire  escapes  and  perfect  system  of 
ventilation  also  commend  it.  In  order  that  the  content  of  250,000 
cubic  feet  of  air  might  be  changed  every  three  minutes,  an 
elaborate  plant  was  built  and  the  concrete  walls  were  interlaced 
with  hollow  ducts.  From  the  floor,  walls  and  ceilings,  these 
converge  to  carry  away  the  vitiated  atmosphere  into  one  large 
tunnel  leading  to  the  fan  house  on  the  roof.  There  a  large  wheel 
sucks  it  up  and  discharges  into  the  open  air  80,000  cubic  feet  of 
air  each  minute.  The  building  is  constructed  entirely  of  con- 
crete and  stone  and  is  as  nearly  fireproof  as  a  theatre  can  be 
built. 

Some  of  the  beautiful  features  of  this  theatre  worthy  of 
special  enumeration  are :  The  Pompeian  entrance  with  its  marble 
walls,  the  ladies'  waiting  room  of  the  period  of  Louis  the  Mag- 
nificent, the  drinking  fountains  and  mirrors  of  the  foyer,  the 
marble  staircase  and  ingle  nooks,  the  Flemish  smoking  room  with 
its  beams  and  tiles,  the  cantilever  balcony  with  its  loggias,  the 
great,  dark  crimson  curtain  of  asbestos,  the  gilded  and  rose- 
.  wreathed  sounding  board,  the  bacchante  heads  and  scroll  orna- 
mentation of  the  stage  boxes,  the  carefully  calculated  acoustics, 
the  children's  play  room  with  nurse  and  toys,  the  elaborate  light- 
ing and  the  great  circulation  fan,  the  roomy  stage  with  maple 


Theatres  433 

apron  and  ample  scenery,  and  the  delicacy  and  elaboration  of 
the  color  scheme. 

Among  the  other  places  of  amusement  the  following  are 
the  leading  ones : 

The  Prince  Theatre,  built  in  1909,  on  the  site  of  the  Sweeny 
&  Combs  Opera  House,  known  as  the.  Houston  Theatre,  which 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1908.  .This  is  a  combination  theatre  and 
office  building.  It  is  six  stories  high  and  covers  a  plot  of  ground 
100  by  150  feet,  located  on  Fannin  Avenue  opposite  the  County 
Court  House.  The  construction  is  of  brick  and  concrete  and 
the  building  is  fireproof.  The  cost  of  the  building  was  $140,000. 
The  theatre  is  located  on  the  ground  floor  and  is  the  home  of 
the  legitimate  drama  in  Houston.  It  is  cheaply  built  and 
entirely  inadequate  to  the  present  needs  of  the  city.  The 
dressing  rooms  are  abominable  and  little  has  been  done  for  the 
comfort  of  the  actors  and  artists.  There  is  comparatively  easy 
egress  in  case  of  fire,  and  much  danger  in  that  direction  has 
been  eliminated.  The  seating  capacity  is  1,200.  The  lessee  of 
the  theatre,  Manager  Dave  A.  Weis  is  a  man  of  large  experience 
as  a  theatrical  manager  and  constantly  tries  to  improve  the 
character  of  attractions  coming  to  Houston. 

The  Old  Majestic  was  erected  in  1903  at  a  cost  of  $35,000. 
It  is  of  wood  and  brick  construction  and  has  a  seating  capacity 
of  800.  When  erected  and  for  a  few  years  after,  it  was  Hous- 
ton's chief  vaudeville  theatre.  Since  1909  it  has  been  given  over 
entirely  to  stock  companies.  The  building  is  antiquated. 

The  Cozy,  located  on  Texas  Avenue,  ''forty-five  seconds 
from  Main  Street"  is  a  very  popular  place  of  amusement, 
devoted  to  vaudeville.  It  is  a  small  but  comfortable  and  well 
arranged  theatre,  and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  800.  The  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1910  by  Mr.  M.  E.  Foster  and  is  50  by  125 
feet.  Its  cost  was  $25,000. 

Other  places  of  amusement  in  Houston  are:  The  Theato, 
pictures  and  vaudeville;  The  Star  Theatre,  moving  pictures; 
The  Crystal  Theatre,  moving  pictures;  The  Princess,  moving 
pictures  and  vaudeville ;  The  Royal,  moving  pictures  and  vaude- 
ville ;  The  Dixie  Theatre,  moving  pictures ;  The  Vaudette  Theatre, 


434  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

moving  pictures;  The  Bil-Sol,  moving  pictures;  McDonald  & 
Newcomb,  moving  pictures ;  John  McTighe,  moving  pictures,  and 
two  moving  picture  places  for  negroes  only. 

It  is  estimated  that  between  8,000  and  10,000  persons  pat- 
ronize the  moving  picture  shows  in  Houston  daily.  The  best 
of  those  named  is  the  Dixie.  The  Plaza  and  the  Lyric  are  open 
air,  summer  theatres  arranged  for  comfort  during  the  hot 
weather.  Each  is  well  patronized. 

In  1909,  1910  and  1911,  Houston  had  good  stock  companies 
playing  in  the  city.  The  Players  Stock  Company  under  the 
management  of  Joseph  D.  Glass,  at  the  old  Majestic,  and  the 
William  Grew  Stock  Company,  at  the  Plaza  in  the  summer  of 
1911,  were  the  best  of  these. 

At  present  the  city  has  abundance  of  vaudeville  theatres, 
but  the  Prince  Theatre  should  be  given  up  to  stock  company 
work  and  a  great  modern  theatre  for  legitimate  drama  built  that 
would  be  to  that  class  of  theatrical  offerings  what  the  New  Majes- 
tic is  to  vaudeville. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

Parks  and  Cemeteries 


Purchase  and  Development  of  Sam  Houston  Park.  Highland 
Park.  Cleveland  Park.  Elizabeth  Baldwin  Park.  City's  need 
of  Plaza  Parks.  Ruined  Condition  of  City's  Earliest  Ceme- 
teries. Episcopal  Church  and  Holland  Lodge  Cemetery. 
Glenwood  and  Catholic  Cemeteries.  List  of  other  Cemeteries. 
Sylvan  Beauties  of  Burying  Ground.  Land  Tenure  of  Cem- 
etery Lots. 


As  early  as  1882  there  was  begun  a  crusade  for  a  city  park. 
Nothing  came  of  it,  however,  and  it  was  not  until  eighteen  years 
later  that  anything  definite  was  accomplished.  In  1900,  Judge 
Sam  Brashear,  at  that  time  mayor  of  Houston,  desiring  to  leave 
a  monument  to  commemorate  his  administration,  purcha- 
for  the  city,  seventeen  acres,  the  site  of  the  present  Sam  Houston 
Park.  This  park  is  located  on  the  south  side  of  Buffalo  Bayou  in 
the  western  part  of  the  city,  and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
places  in  Houston.  Its  natural  advantages  are  very  great,  and 
to  these  have  been  added  the  art  and  skill  of  expert  landscape 
gardeners. 

The  site  was  purchased  by  the  city,  June  19,  1910,  and  the 
cost  of  the  land  and  improvements  was  about  $50,000.  When  first 
purchased,  portions  of  the  tract  were  badly  cut  up  by  gullies  and 
ravines.  Some  of  these  have  been  filled  while  others  have  been 
made  use  of  in  the  scheme  of  beautifying  the  park. 
At  first  a  zoological  garden  was  started,  but  after 
making  good  headway  towards  establishing  a  really  cred- 
itable zoo,  the  idea  was  abandoned  and  the  collection  was  sold 
to  an  amusement  park  in  Little  Rock,  Ark.  Mayor  Brashear 
was  anxious  to  extend  the  park  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bayou, 
but  this  has  not  yet  been  done,  although  the  park  is  connected 


436  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

with  that  side  by  a  good  wide  bridge,  and  the  approaches  are 
first  class.  The  city  owns  a  good  sized  tract  on  the  north  side  of 
the  bayou,  immediately  opposite  the  park,  so  that  it  is  possible 
to  enlarge  it  at  any  time. 

Highland  Park,  near  Beauchamp  Springs  at  the  foot  of 
Houston  Avenue  on  White  Oak  Bayou,  is  a  natural  park,  and  is 
a  beautiful  spot  near  Houston.  It  is  located  on  a  tract  of 
about  twenty  acres,  lying  north  of  the  city  near  the  junction  of 
Little  White  Oak  and  White  Oak  Bayous.  The  ground  slopes 
towards  the  bayous  and  is  covered  with  magnificent  oak,  mag- 
nolia and  other  forest  trees.  This  park  was  inaugurated  and 
improved  by  the  Houston  Electric  Company  as  a  private  enter- 
prise but  became  a  public  park,  apparently,  by  common  consent. 
It  is  free  to  all  and  has  many  attractions,  the  chief  one  being 
an  artificial  lake  filled  and  fed  by  artesian  wells. 

Sam  Houston  Park  seems  destined  to  be  eclipsed  in  the  near 
future  by  Cleveland  Park,  which  is  located  just  beyond  the  west 
bounds  of  the  city  on  Buffalo  Bayou.  This  park,  consisting  of 
thirty  acres,  was  a  Christmas  gift  to  the  people  of  Houston  in 
December,  1907,  and  cost  the  city  $45,000.  If  no  work  in  the 
way  of  beautifying  it  were  done,  it  would  still  be  a  charming 
sylvan  retreat,  for  nature  has  done  wonders  for  it.  It  is  located 
in  a  great  bend  of  the  bayou,  and  the  earth  slopes  gently  towards 
the  bayou,  with  numerous  natural,  miniature  hills  breaking  the 
contour.  In  one  of  the  declivities  between  these  miniature  hills, 
a  large  artificial  lake  has  been  made,  fed  by  an  immense  artesian 
well.  The  place  was  originally  intended  for  a  park,  and  $15,000 
had  been  spent  on  it  before  the  city  purchased  it.  Thus  far 
the  city  has  made  no  improvements,  but  when  it  does,  Cleveland 
Park  will  become  one  of  the  handsomest  parks  in  the  South. 

What  was  known  as  the  old  Lang  place  in  the  Third  ward,  at 
the  end  of  the  LaBranch  Street  car  line,  was  purchased 
some  years  ago  with  the  legacy  left  by  the  late  Mrs.  W. 
M.  Rice,  and  was  named  after  her,  "Elizabeth  Baldwin  Park." 
It  was  cleared,  fenced  and  opened  by  the  Civic  Club,  but  no 
improvements  were  made  either  by  the  club  or  by  the  city 


Parks  and  Cemeteries  437 

authorities.  The  only  adornment  it  has  is  its  beautiful  trees.  The 
park  is  small,  but  could  be  made  very  attractive. 

Several  of  the  additions  that  have  sprung  up  around 
Houston  have  made  provision  for  parks,  yet  it  is  hardly  safe  to 
assume  that  future  generations  of  Houstonians  will  have  ample 
breathing  spaces.  At  present  Houston  is  too  much  occupied  in 
developing  her  material  resources  to  pay  much  attention  to  her 
play  grounds,  but  when  the  time  comes,  as  it  soon  will,  there  is 
no  question  but  that  a  large  work  in  that  direction  should  be  done. 
The  extension  of  Sam  Houston  Park  with  riverside  drives  on 
both  sides  of  the  bayou  is  the  improvement  nearest  in  sight.  Mr. 
Harvey  T.  D.  Wilson  has  outlined  a  plan  of  park  extension  and 
improvement  which  he  hopes  to  see  the  city  eventually  adopt. 
The  city's  greatest  need  is  a  number  of  small  parks  or  plazas  of 
one  square  block  in  extent.  It  is  an  economic  mistake  for  the 
city  not  to  purchase  a  number  of  vacant  squares  for  this  purpose. 

When  the  Aliens  laid  out  Houston  they  set  aside  a  block  of 
ground  in  the  First  ward,  north  of  Buffalo  Bayou  near  the  banks 
of  White  Oak  Bayou,  as  a  cemetery,  and  gave  it  to  the  city  to 
be  used  for  that  purpose.  About  the  same  time  another  plot  of 
ground  out  on  the  San  Felipe  road  was  dedicated  to  the  same 
purpose.  These  two  cemeteries  are  the  oldest  in  Houston,  and 
for  several  years  they  were  the  only  places  of  burial  here.  Neither 
was  ever  very  popular  with  the  early  Houstonians,  and  many  of 
the  older  families  buried  their  dead  in  their  flower  gardens. 
Still  there  were  numerous  burials  in  the  two  cemeteries  and 
some  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  Houston  and  of  Texas 
are  buried  in  one  or  the  other  of  these  two  places.  Both  have 
become  dreadfully  neglected,  and  have  been  allowed  to  go  to 
ruin.  This  is  particularly  true  of  the  cemetery  in  the  First 
ward,  which  has  no  fence  and  is  used  as  a  public  highway.  The 
San  Felipe  ground,  owing  to  its  more  isolated  situation  is  some- 
what better  preserved,  but  it  is  badly  in  need  of  care  and 
attention.  The  fact  that  the  Jewish  Cemetery  adjoins  it  has 
acted  as  a  protection  and  has  partially  preserved  it  from  the 
fate  that  has  overtaken  the  cemetery  in  the  First  ward. 

About  the  year  1845,  the  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church 


438  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

and  Holland  Lodge  of  Masons  joined  together  and  purchased 
a  plot  of  ground  in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  near  the  banks 
of  Buffalo  Bayou,  and  established  what  was  afterwards  known 
as  the  Episcopal-Masonic  burial  ground.  It  was  on  a  sloping  hill, 
was  free  from  many  trees,  and  was,  for  that  day,  an  ideal  spot 
for  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  intended.  Many  of  the  prom- 
inent families  purchased  lots  there  and  for  many  years  it  was 
used.  In  the  early  seventies,  it  was  gradually  abandoned. 
When  Glenwood  Cemetery  was  opened  nearly  all  the  bodies  were 
removed  to  the  latter  place.  It  was  evident  that  the  ceme- 
tery had  been  placed  too  near  town,  for  even  in  1870  the  city 
had  encroached  on  all  sides  of  it  except  on  the  bayou  side.  When 
Sam  Houston  Park  was  established,  the  cemetery,  which 
adjoins  it,  was  closed  for  good,  and  future  burials  there  were 
prohibited.  It  is  now  closed  to  the  public.  The  old  place  has 
many  sacred  memories  clinging  to  .it  as  some  of  the  best  loved 
Houstonians  still  sleep  there. 

The  first  effort  made  to  establish  a  really  large  and  imposing 
cemetery  was  in  1872,  when  Glenwood  was  begun.  The  site  is  a 
naturally  beautiful  one,  opening  on  Washington  Street,  and 
landscape  gardening  and  art  have  made  it  one  of  the  most 
attractive  places  of  its  kind  to  be  found  in  the  South.  This  is 
the  principal  cemetery  of  the  city. 

One  of  the  oldest  cemeteries  is  the  old  Catholic  cemetery  in 
the  Second  ward  on  Runnels  Street.  This  cemetery  was  estab- 
lished shortly  after  the  establishment  of  the  Episcopalian  ceme- 
tery. Only  members  of  the  church  may  be  buried  there. 

The  names  and  locations  of  the  other  cemeteries  are  as  fol- 
lows: The  German  Society  Cemetery,  is  just  west  of  Glen- 
wood Cemetery  on  Washington  Street.  The  Hebrew  Cemetery  is 
on  the  San  Felipe  road,  half  a  mile  west  of  the  G.  H.  &  S.  A. 
Railway.  Hollywood  Cemetery  is  located  on  the  west  side  of 
West  Montgomery  road,  half  a  mile  north  of  the  city  limits.  It  is 
the  second  cemetery  in  importance  in  the  city.  Its  natural  beau- 
ties are  great  and  many  handsome  monuments  adorn  it.  The  Holy 
Cross  Cemetery,  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  west  Montgomery  Road, 
two  blocks  south  of  Houston  Avenue.  The  Magnolia  Cemetery 


Parks  and  Cemeteries  439 

lies  on  the  north  side  of  the  San  Felipe  road,  one  block  west  of 
the  G.  H.  &  S.-A.  Railway.  The  College  Park  Cemetery  (negro), 
is  south  of  the  San  Felipe  road,  one  mile  west  of  the  G.  H.  & 
S.  A.  Railway.  Olive  Wood  Cemetery  (negro),  lies  at  the  north 
end  of  the  Court  in  Chaneyville. 

Houston's  cemeteries  combine  the  beauty  of  the  wildwood 
with  the  charm  of  the  tropical  and  semi-tropical  plants  and 
flowers  that  the  climate  permits  to  flourish  in  great  beauty  and 
abundance.  For  ten  months  in  the  year  the  sylvan  charm  of 
the  natural  forest  and  indigenous  plants,  vines  and  flowers  hold 
their  sway.  Ferns  blow  in  the  open  air  and  only  have  to  be 
put  under  cover  a  few  chilly  nights  in  each  year. 

The  patriotic  societies  and  organizations  have  marked  the 
graves  of  the  honored  dead,  and  many  a  monument  to  hero,  as 
well  as  loved  one,  rises  in  the  city's  beautiful  cemeteries. 

Wealth,  moved  by  grief,  has  uttered  its  sorrow  in  many 
costly  marbles  and  towering  shafts,  and  many  a  marble  angel 
with  drooping  wings  broods  over  the  resting  places  of  the  dead. 

The  cemeteries  are  open  to  one  criticism  that  applies  at 
least  to  several  of  them,  and  that  is,  that  lot  owners  sometimes 
experience  great  difficulty  in  having  their  lots  properly  cared 
for.  Under  the  form  of^deed  given  in  Glenwood,  and  other  ceme- 
teries, no  real  ownership  in  the  lot  passes  and  the  purchaser  only 
buys  the  privilege  of  being  perpetually  taxed  by  the  cemetery 
organizations  which  retain  the  nominal  right,  although  it  is  per- 
haps not  often  exercised,  to  cast  out  the  dead  and  resell  the 
lots  if  the  payments  cease.  If  there  is  any  spot  on  earth  to  which 
title  should  pass  in  fee  simple  it  is  the  plot  of  ground  in  a  ceme- 
tery where  the  dead  rest  in  their  last  long  sleep.  The  character 
of  title  given,  together  with  the  lesson  from  the  neglected  ceme- 
teries of  the  early  days,  points  a  moral  that  is  not  pleasant  to. 
read  as  to  the  possible  future  fate  of  these  wooded  and  flowered 
retreats  where  the  dead  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

Old   Landmarks 


The  Old  Indian  Trading  Post.  The  Old  City  Hotel  and  Hutchins 
House.  Site  of  Capitol  and  Land  Office  Buildings.  Hous- 
ton's Mansion.  Where  the  First  Store  Stood.  Two  Historic 
Bridges.  Sites  of  Early  Railroad  Construction.  The  Old 
City  Wharf.  Reminiscences  on  Destruction  of  Houston's 
First  Hotel. 


There  are  a  number  of  points  in  Houston  that  have  his- 
torical interest,  and  as  most  of  them  are  already  forgotten  or 
almost  unknown  to  the  present  generation  and  in  a  few  years 
all  of  them,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  will  be  entirely 
forgotten,  it  may  be  well  to  place  some  of  the  most  important 
on  record  in  these  pages. 

What  was  known  as  the  home  of  Mr.  Horace  D.  Taylor, 
located  on  the  north  side  of  Preston 'Avenue,  on  the  south 
side  of  Buffalo  Bayou,  near  the  Preston  Avenue  Bridge,  was 
formerly  a  great  Indian  trading  post.  It  was  owned  and 
conducted  by  Mr.  George  Torrey.  The  post  was  established 
early  in  1836  and  was  in  active  operation  for  several  years. 
There  were  one  or  two  tribes  of  Indians  near  Houston.  They 
were  "tame"  Indians  and  were  about  as  civilized  as  Indians 
ever  get  to  be.  The  largest  tribe  was  the  Creek,  and  another 
tribe  lived  farther  north  on  the  San  Jacinto  River.  These 
Indians  visited  Houston  often  and  were  here  until  in  the  late 
fifties,  when  they  were  removed  to  the  territory  north  of 
Red  River. 

Houston,  or  rather  the  place  where  Houston  was  afterwards 
located,  must  also  have  been  a  favorite  home  for  the  wild 
Indians  for  there  were  numerous  evidences  of  them  found  here 
in  the  early  days.  All  that  region  south  of  Preston  Avenue 


Old  Landmarks  441 

and  west  of  Louisiana  Street,  must  have  been  a  burial  ground 
for  the  Indians,  for  it  is  a  common  thing  to  dig  up  bones, 
arrow-heads  and  such  articles  all  over  that  vicinity. 

The  trading  post  was  abandoned  early  in  the  forties,  and 
the  Indians  then  transferred  their  patronage  to  Mr.  John 
Kennedy,  who  had  a  store  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Travis 
and  Congress,  and  to  Mr.  Cornelius  Ennis,  who  had  a  store 
on  Main  Street  between  Franklin  and  Commerce.  The  Chief 
of  the  Creeks  was  an  Indian  named  Mingo,  who  was  a  rather 
superior  man.  He  spoke  fairly  good  English  and  always 
conducted  himself  well,  even  when  he  was  drunk,  in  which 
state  he  was  every  time  he  come  to  town.  Mingo  died,  and 
was  buried  somewhere  out  on  the  San  Jacinto,  before  his 
tribe  was  moved  away. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  place  in  Houston  that  has  so  many 
memories  clinging  to  it  as  the  northeast  corner  of  Travis 
and  Franklin.  Here  was  built  Houston's  first  hotel,  the  old 
City  Hotel  conducted  by  Mr.  Geo.  Wilson,  father  of  Mr.  Ed. 
Wilson,  the  latter  still  a  citizen  of  Houston.  This  first  hotel 
was  an  insignificant  affair,  constructed  out  of  logs  and  stood 
for  many  years.  It  fell  down  in  1855  and  another  one-story 
structure  was  built  on  its  site  which  was  soon  torn  down  to 
make  way  for  the  Hutchins  House,  which  in  its  day  was  the 
finest  hotel  structure  in  Texas.  The  old  Hutchins  House  was 
a  great  meeting  place  and,  as  already  noted  in  these  pages, 
nearly  all  of  the  leading  state  societies  and  organizations  had 
their  beginning  in  its  parlors.  The  building  was  destroyed 
by  fire  and  the  site,  after  remaining  vacant  for  several  years 
was  finally  purchased  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  and 
the  present  magnificent  office-building  of  that  road  was 
erected  on  it. 

Workmen  are  now  engaged  in  tearing  down  the  Rice 
Hotel,  to  make  way  for  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  hotels  in 
the  South.  The  location  is  on  the  site  of,  the  old  Capitol  of 
the  Republic  of  Texas.  This  locality  is  too  well  known  to 
everybody  and  its  history  is  too  familiar  to  require  more  than 
passing  notice.  Just  across  Main  Street  from  the  hotel  site  is 


442  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

the  Binz  Building  which  stands  where  the  first  Land  Office  of 
the  Republic  of  Texas  stood.  There  were  other  government 
offices  in  the  old  frame  building  which  stood  there,  but  the 
chief  one  was  the  Land  Office. 

If  one  believed  all  the  stories  and  traditions  connected 
with  President  Sam  Houston,  one  would  be  forced  to  believe 
that  he  was  ubiquitous,  or  that  he  was  largely  peripatetic, 
for  there  are  several  places  pointed  out  as  "Sam  Houston's 
home"  in  Houston.  There  is  a  house  in  the  Second  ward, 
another  in  the  Fourth  ward,  and  there  may  be  yet  others 
while  the  friends  of  Mrs.  A.  C.  Allen  claim  that  he  made  his 
home  at  her  residence  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Rusk.  Each 
one  of  these  stories  may  be  true,  but  the  fact  remains  that 
the  official  home  of  the  President  of  the  Republic  of  Texas 
was  in  the  President's  mansion  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Main  and  Preston,  where  the  Scanlan  Building  now  stands. 
It  was  a  "mansion"  in  name  only,  for  it  was  a  small  wooden 
house  that  was  so  badly  constructed  that  it  barely  kept  out  the 
wind  and  rain.  After  the  Capital  was  moved  to  Austin  the 
"mansion"  became  the  shop  of  a  hatter. 

There  are  other  points  to  which  interest  is  attached  from 
a  purely  commercial  point  of  view.  One  of  the  chief  of 
these  is  the  northeast  corner  of  Commerce  Avenue  and  Main 
Street,  where  the  first  store  or  warehouse  was  erected  in 
Houston.  Aside  from  being  the  first  warehouse  it  was  the 
third  house  of  any  kind  built  here.  It  was  a  small  one-story 
frame  building  and  was  erected  in  February,  1837.  Though 
it  was  comparatively  small  it  was  at  the  time  the  largest 
building  in  Houston.  Afterwards  it  was  extended  back 
towards  the  bayou,  so  that  its  rear  elevation  looked  like  a 
big  two-story  house.  It  was  built  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Thos. 
Elsberry,  but  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Allen  and  Pool  who  used  it  as  a  cotton  and  hide  warehouse. 
There  was  a  large  door  cut  in  the  rear  of  the  building  and 
instead  of  draying  or  trucking  the  bales  of  cotton  down  to 
the  steamboats,  they  were  dumped  bodily  out  of  this  door 
and  rolled  right  on  the  boats.  The  fall  of  twenty  or  thirty 


Old  Landmarks  443 

feet  often  proved  disastrous  to  the  bales  when  the  ropes, 
used  as  ties,  would  break.  The  methods  of  handling  and 
earing  for  so  valuable  an  article  as  cotton  were  about  as 
crude  and  wasteful  then  as  they  are  now.  Everything  about 
a  bale  of  cotton  has  been  improved  on  except  handling  and 
protecting  it  from  the  weather.  A  point  of  interest  connected 
with  that  old  building,  which  stood  until  long  after  the  war, 
was  the  fact  that  several  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential 
citizens  of  Houston  began  their  careers  within  its  walls.  Mr.  J. 
T.  Doswell  who  gained  a  large  fortune  as  a  commission 
merchant  and  who  was  afterwards  a  large  cotton  exporter  in 
New  Orleans,  began  his  commercial  life  on  that  site  as  book- 
keeper for  Allen  &  Pool  and  when  he  resigned  to  go  in  business 
for  himself  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Wm.  R.  Baker,  who  in 
turn  resigned  to  engage  in  business  for  himself.  He  began  by 
renting  a  part  of  the  same  warehouse  and  when  he  died,  he 
was  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  successful  citizens  of 
Houston.  There  were  several  others  though  none  so  successful 
as  these  two. 

There  are  two  bridges  that  "deserve  to  be  placed  among 
the  historical  locations.  One  is  the  Preston  Avenue  bridge 
and  the  other  is  the  small  bridge  spanning  White  Oak  Bayou 
not  far  from  where  it  empties  into  Buffalo  Bayou.  Over  these 
two  bridges,  for  many  years,  practically  all  the  commerce  of 
the  state  passed.  It  is  impossible  to  even  estimate  the  value 
of  the  products  that  have  passed  over  these  bridges  coming 
into  Houston  or  the  value  of  the  goods  that  passed  going 
out.  " 

There  are  three  points  that  have  historical  interest  from 
a  railroad  point  of  view.  The  first  is  near  the  west  end  of  the 
old  McGowan  Foundry,  for  it  was  there  that  the  first  shovel 
of  dirt  was  thrown  by  Mr.  Paul  Bremond  when  the  construction 
of  the  Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railroad  was  begun.  The 
second  is  the  southwest  corner  of  Polk,  Avenue  and  San 
Jacinto  Street,  where  the  first  passenger  and  freight  depot 
of  the  Buffalo  Bayou  and  Brazos  Railroad  was  located.  The 
third  is  the  southeast  corner  of  McKinney  Avenue  and  San 


444  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Jacinto  Street,  where,  during  the  war,  the  Galveston,  Houston 
and  Henderson  Railroad  had  its  passenger  and  freight  depot. 
Thousands  of  soldiers  and  hundreds  of  tons  of  munitions 
of  war  have  passed  over  that  spot,  for  during  the  four  years 
of  the  war  that  road  was  in  constant  operation  and  the 
military  authorities  took  entire  charge  of  the  road. 

Of  course  the  old  wharf  at  the  foot  of  Main  Street  and 
extending  down  as  far  as  San  Jacinto  Street,  is  historical,  but 
as  the  only  change  likely  to  be  made  in  it  will  be  one  of 
improvement  and  growth,  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak  of  it 
especially  here. 

On  October  1,  1911,  workmen  began  tearing  down  the  Rice 
Hotel,  which  stands  on  the  site  of  the  old  Capital,  to  make  way 
for  a  new  hotel  which  is  to  cost  two  million  dollars  and  is 
to  be  the  finest  hotel  in  the  state.  In  this  connection  the 
following  extract  from  the  columns  of  the  old  Telegraph, 
will  be  read  with  interest,  since  it  tells  of  the  fate  of  Houston's 
first  hotel  and  of  some  of  the  distinguished  men  who  patronized 
it.  In  its  issue  of  May  16,  1855,  under  the  heading,  "The  Fall 
of  a  Historic  House,"  the  Telegraph  stated  that  the  oldest 
house  that  was  standing  in  Houston  on  the  preceding  Saturday 
had  been  reduced  to  a  mass  of  ruins.  It  was  the  original 
City  Hotel,  a  log  building  in  the  rear  of  the  Telegraph  office 
on  Franklin  Avenue.  After  an  existence  of  nearly  twenty 
years  it  had  fallen  because  of  old  age  and  decrepitude.  It 
was  built  by  Maj.  Ben  Fort  Smith,  a  pioneer  in  Texas  and 
in  Houston,  and  the  Telegraph  said:  "It  had  been  in  its  day 
the  hotel  par  excellence  of  the  Capitol  and  commercial 
metropolis  of  the  glorious  old  Republic  of  Texas.  The 
President  and  his  cabinet  and  the  senators  and  representatives 
and  officials  of  the  first  and  second  Congresses  had  dined 
there,  and  so,  too,  had  foreign  ministers." 

"Rusk,  who  was  a  great  man  before  the  Republic,  was 
once  glorified  at  its  tables  with  a  sacrifice  of  good  things — 
fowls  at  $6  a  pair,  butter  at  $1  a  pound,  eggs  at  $3  a  dozen 
and  champaigne  at  a  fabulous  price  per  bottle."  "It  has 
been  said  that  the  dinner  was  planned  to  encourage  a 


Old  Landmarks  445 

reconciliation  between  Rusk  and  Houston,  and  that  it  was 
so  far  successful  that  Rusk,  in  toasting  Houston,  his  old 
opponent,  said:  'Houston,  with  all  thy  faults  I  love  thee 
still.'" 

The  fall  of  the  old  house  evidently  put  the  editor  in  a 
reminiscent  mood,  for  he  goes  on  to  say:  "Texas  had  great 
men  in  that  day  and  their  name  was  legion.  It  was  an 
insult  to  take  a  man  for  anything  but  great,  brave,  chivalrous 
and  even  rich.  Everybody  was  rich,  or  in  the  army  or 
navy  or  public  service,  which  was  the  same  thing.  The 
City  Hotel  had  a  barroom,  one  of  perhaps  twenty  that 
flourished  in  the  town,  where  steam  was  kept  up  at  the 
explosion  point,  and  the  collapse  of  a  decanter,  pitcher  or 
tumbler,  as  it  came  in  contact  with  the  brains  of  some  unlucky 
devotee  at  the  shrine  of  chivalry  or  bravado,  or  of  the  kindred 
virtues  usually  worshiped  'when  the  wine  was  red  in  the  cup,' 
was  no  uncommon  occurrence.  Those  were  the  days  of  duels, 
bowie  knives  and  pistols,  poker,  keno  and  faro,  when  ten, 
twenty  or  fifty  thousand  dollars  would  be  lost  and  won  in 
a  night.  Texas  was  the  prophecy  of  California,  and  Houston 
a  very  San  Francisco.  No  mines  were  dug,  but  gold  was 
plenty  and  men  managed  to  live  without  sweating  their  brows. 
If  a  man  worked  at  all,  he  earned  his  $8  or  $10  a  day,  but 
.precious  few  worked  at  all.  Buck  Peters  and  Jeff  Wright 
were  the  practical  jokers.  Judge  Shelby  was  on  the  bench, 
and  was  indicted  by  his  own  grand  jury  for  playing 
backgammon  with  his  wife.  Gus  Tompkins,  fertile  in 
expedient,  but  fractious,  with  his  large  brain  and  small  body 
and  lightning  impulses,  was  a  terror  to  evil-doors.  Felix 
Huston  commanded  the  turbulent  army,  Commodore  Moore 
had  not  come  to  Texas  then,  and  the  navy  was  divided  with 
several  competent  but  less  ambitious  commanders,  not  least 
distinguished  among  whom  was  our  old  friend  Boots  Taylor, 
a  very  Chesterfield  in  manners.  Carnes  and  Teel  and 
Morehouse  and  Deaf  Smith  lived  in  those  times  with  a  host 
of  other  noble  spirits  whose  lights  have  long  since  gone  out." 

"We  notice  a  few  survivors  of  those  glorious  days  still 


446  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

among  us.  Col.  Frank  Johnson,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the 
storming  of  San  Antonio,  and  the  surrender  of  the  Mexican 
garrison  under  Cos,  sat  with  us  on  a  log  under  the  very 
eaves  of  the  old  building  the  day  before  it  fell,  and  with  him 
was  another  survivor,  Honest  Bob  "Wilson,  who  was  expelled 
from  the  Senate  of  the  old  Republic,  but  was  reflected  and  borne 
back  in  triumph  upon  their  shoulders  by  an  indignant  people, 
to  the  Capitol." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Houston's  Growth  and  Progress 


The  Several  Periods  of  Houston's  History.  The  Plan  Followed 
in  Writing  the  City's  Story.  A  Chapter  of  Recapitulation. 
Characteristics  of  the  Pioneer  Builders.  Trade  Revival 
Following  Annexation.  The  Days  of  Ox- Wagon  Traffic. 
Benefits  from  the  First  Railroad.  The  Destructive  Early 
Fires  and  their  Results.  A  Pen  Picture  of  the  City  in  1857. 
Houston  During  the  Civil  War.  Blockade  Running  and  Trade 
Conditions.  Houston  as  Military  Headquarters.  Feverish 
Gaiety  of  the  War  Period.  A  Dearth  of  Food  and  Clothes. 
Confederate  Money  and  Shin  Plasters.  Rapid  Business 
Revival  When  War  Closed.  Texas  on  Gold  and  Silver  Basis. 
City  Looted  Under  Carpet  Bag  Rule.  A  Pen  Picture  of 
Houston  in  1879.  A  Period  of  Lethargy  and  Stagnation. 
The  Years  of  Growth  and  Expansion.  Rapid  Increase  in 
Property  Values.  City's  Population  Doubles  Each  Decade. 
The  Great  Skyscraper  Era.  Synopsis  of  City's  Relation  to 
Big  Business  Taken  from  City  Directory  of  1911.  What 
Houston  has  Accomplished  in  the  75  Years  of  its  Life. 
The  Promise  of  the  Future. 


Houston's  history,  if  it  were  divided  into  periods  would  be 
classified  somewhat  as  follows: 

The  period  of  the  Republic,  from  1836  to  1845. 

The  Ante-Bellum  period,  from  1845  to  1861. 

The  Civil  War  period,  from  1861  to  1865. 

The  short  period  of  recovery,  from  1865  to  1867. 

The  Carpet-Bag  period,  beginning  1867,  whose  effects  lasted 

until  1882. 

The  period  of  lethargy  and  slight  growth,  from  1882  to  1895. 
The  decade  of  rapid  growth  from  1895  to  1905. 
The  skyscraper  period,  from  1905  to  the  present  time. 
The  early  chapters  of  the  present  volume  describe  the  earliest 


448  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

period  ^ith  a  good  deal  of  attention  to  the  details  of  growth  and 
the  genesis  of  the  several  institutions.  As  the  different  kinds  of 
enterprises  that  go  to  make  up  a  city  do  not  grow  symmetrically 
nor  syn-chronologically  they  can  not  be  foreshortened  into  a 
composite  picture  and  hence  the  several  elements  and  institu- 
tions of  civic  prosperity  in  fairness  to  themselves  had  to  be 
traced  severally  and  so  the  beginning  and  progress  of  each  has 
been  indicated  in  turn. 

The  municipality  and  its  officials ;  the  public  improvements ; 
the  law  and  the  lawyers;  the  physicians  and  the  institutions 
they  founded;  the  bench  and  bar;  the  banks  and  the  bankers; 
the  railroads  and  public  service  corporations ;  the  great  financial 
institutions;  the  builders  and  architects  and  the  results  of  their 
labor  in  brick  and  steel  and  stone;  the  capitalists  and  the  wage 
earners;  the  preachers  and  the  churches;  the  public  schools  and 
the  Rice  Institute ;  the  newspapers  and  the  writers ;  the  captains 
of  commerce  and  of  industry  and  their  great  business  enter- 
prises; trade  and  manufacture;  music  and  musicians;  art  and 
artists ;  clubs  and  societies^  and  organizations  to  better  the  social 
welfare;  and  the  several  classes  of  citizenship  who  have  stood 
for  these  things;  have  all  been  treated  in  turn. 

As  these  grew,  Houston  grew  from  a  group  of  log  huts  and 
tents  to  a  busy  village  on  a  water  course  that  led  to  the  sea, 
grew  to  build  railroads,  grew  to  throw  out  the  tentacles  of  enter- 
prise in  all  directions,  grew  out  of  the  village  status  and  the 
small  town  ideas  and  ideals,  grew  to  be  a  real  city  with  the  throb- 
bing complex  life  of  a  city  and  a  city's  multifold  interests,  grew  to 
teach  the  nation  something  about  the  problems  of  city  government, 
grew  to  be  an  example  in  the  conduct  of  public  schools,  grew 
to  be  the  home  of  many  beautiful  churches,  grew  into  a  great 
buying  market  for  cotton  and  many  other  commodities  and  a 
great  selling  market  for  lumber  and  many  other  things,  grew 
into  a  city  of  factories,  grew  into  a  great  port  of  export  and  a 
center  of  distribution  for  a  great  territory,  grew  to  adorn  herself 
with  costly  public  buildings  and  grew  up  into  the  air  with  great 
business  structures,  and  is  steadily  growing  into  a  huge  metrop- 
olis. 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  449 

This  chapter  is  one  of  rapid  recapitulation.  One  that  takes 
a  backward  glance  at  the  city  during  its  several  periods  and 
rethreads  the  complex  story  from  the  days  of  the  pioneers -to 
the  present  and  then  summarizes  notable  elements  of  very  recent 
growth,  grouping  them  into  an  avenue  of  achievement  through 
which  opens  the  vista  of  a  splendid  future,  for  the  story  of 
Houston  will  doubtless  ever  remain  an  unfinished  story  and  the 
sequelae  will  make  ever  fairer  chapters  because  the  future  of 
Houston  should  ever  be  novel  in  daring  and  epic  in  grandeur. 

The  builders  of  the  future  should  remember,  however,  that 
had  their  predecessors  not  chosen  wisely  and  builded  well  the 
foundations,  their  own  achievements  would  have  been  lesser  and 
more  circumscribed. 

The  popular  conception  of  pioneers  is  that  brawn  and 
muscle  are  their  main  and  distinguishing  attributes.  In  popular 
estimation,  the  aesthetic,  the  refined  and  the  artistic  have  no  place 
in  the  composition  of  a  pioneer.  He  is  imagined  as  being  roughly 
educated,  if  at  all,  with  a  careless  disregard  for  books  or  for  liter- 
ature in  any  form,  concentrating  his  interest  on  his  immediate 
surroundings  and  having  something  amounting  almost  to  con- 
tempt for  everything  not  directly  bearing  on  his  physical  com- 
fort. 

Now  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  pioneer  Houstonians 
resembled  such  a  type  of  pioneer  in  no  way  at  all,  for  among 
them  were  many  really  brilliant  and  great  men.  Of  course  there 
were  also  representatives  of  the  rough  class,  but  these  were  not 
numerous  and  had  too  little  weight  or  influence  to  stamp  their 
individuality  on  the  community.  Society  was  largely  composed 
of  men  of  education  and  learning ;  of  professional  men,  lawyers, 
doctors,  statesmen  and  soldiers — men  whose  mental  and  moral 
qualifications  would  have  reflected  honor  on  any  community. 
Neither  is  it  surprising  that  such  conditions  should  have  pre- 
vailed, for  among  the  early  Houstonians  were  well  educated 
representatives  of  many  of  the  most  prominent  families  of  the 
older  states,  while  among  the  foreigners,  mostly  Germans,  were 
some  of  the  most  highly  educated  and  well  born  men  of  Europe. 
Under  conditions  such  as  these  it  is  not  surprising  that  Houston 


450  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

was  at  first,  more  than  in  later  years,  an  educational  and  intel- 
lectual, as  well  as  a  commercial  center.  Hon.  A.  W.  Terrell, 
formerly  United  States  minister  to  Turkey,  once  uttered  a  mem- 
orable address  in  which  he  showed  the  great  number  of  highly 
educated  men  among  the  signers  of  the  Texas  Declaration  of 
Independence.  Such  men  composed  the  early  citizenship  of 
Hovston. 

After  the  establishment  of  the  Texas  Republic,  Houston 
became  a  great  social  and  political  center,  for  here  were  gathered 
statesmen,  congressmen,  foreign  ministers  and  others  whose  pres- 
ence added  materially  to  the  life  and  gaiety  of  the  city.  Then, 
too,  there  was  a  large  influx  of  professional  men,  planters,  mer- 
chants and  others  who,  with  their  wives  and  daughters,  added 
largely  to  the  social  life  of  the  little  town.  The  means  of  enjoy- 
ment were  limited,  of  course,  but  there  were  gatherings,  visit- 
ings,  dinings  and  other  forms  of  social  pleasure. 

Tn  December.  1845,  the  first  state  election  was  held.  Peter 
W.  Gray  and  J.  N.  0.  Smith  were  elected  representatives  and 
Isaac  W.  Brashear  was  elected  Senator.  The  following  February, 
Texas  took  hor  pJace  among  the  states  of  the  Timon.  As  soon 
as  that  occurred,  immigration  from  the  South  and  West  began 
and  new  life  >\as  enthused  into  the  state  and  particularly  into 
Houston.  T^-ade  itvived,  land  values  increased  and  a  .regular 
boom  set  in.  There  was  a  brisk  demand  for  all  staple-  goods  and 
the  wholesale  trade  of  the  city  became  very  great.  All  these  goods 
were  received  by  v.ater,  but  their  distribution  to  the  inteiior  had 
to  be  made  by  means  of  ox-wagons  and  that  gav.j  rise  to  an 
immense  industry.  The  very  difficulties  of  transportation  created 
this  industry  and  it  soon  became  highly  remunerative.  It  was 
of  great  proportions,  too,  for  it  is  recorded  that  on  one  day  there 
were  ninety-seven  ox-wagons  that  entered  the  city  over  the  Long 
Bridge  alone,  and  that  it  required  1,164  oxen  to  haul  these 
wagons.  As  there  was  a  large  business  done  with  the  West  also, 
wagons  from  which  section  came  into  the  city  over  the  San  Felipe 
road,  an  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  business  may  be  formed. 
This  form  of  transportation,  while  very  slow  and  tedious,  was 
very  reliable  and  certain,  for  while  the  roads  at  times  were  bad, 


451 

as  a  rule  they  were  very  good.  There  was  danger  from  attacks 
by  Indians,  but  the  wagoners  guarded  against  that,  by  keeping 
together,  and  traveling  in  large  parties. 

The  great  bulk  of  Houston's  trade  with  the  interior  was 
done  by  wagons,  even  as  late  as  1856,  or  three  years  after  the 
Central  Railroad  had  been'started.  Three  years  later,  or  in  1859, 
the  wagon  trade  with  the  Northwest  became  a  thing  of  the  past, 
for  by  then,  the  railroad  had  reached  a  point  where  its  influence 
was  felt.  As  soon  as  this  occurred,  Houston  began  to  feel  the 
benefits  of  the  change.  Her  business  increased  by  leaps  and 
bounds.  Houston  real  estate  increased  in  value  from  the  time 
that  the  first  shovel  full  of  dirt  for  the  construction  of  the  Hous- 
ton and  Texas  Central  Railroad  was  thrown,  but  the  increase  was 
most  pronounced  after  that  road  had  reached  Hempstead,  fifty 
miles  from  Houston. 

The  following  extract  from  the  assessment  rolls  of  the  city, 
shows  the  valuation  of  Houston  real  estate  for  the  years  named : 
1858,  $2,127,123 ;  1859,  $2,485,851 ;  1860,  $3,339,285 ;  1861,  $3,- 
386,493;  1862,  $3,581,923;  1863,  $4,426,571. 

The  city  was  visited  by  two  disastrous  fires,  one  in  1858,  and 
the  other  in  1859,  which,  while  looked  on  as  calamities  at  the 
time,  were  really  highly  beneficial.  Up  to  that  time  there  had 
been  only  two  or  three  small  brick  buildings  erected,  and  the 
whole  business  part  of  the  town  was  composed  of  frame  buildings. 
The  first  fire  destroyed  the  block  bounded  by  Main,  Congress, 
Travis  and  Preston,  and  also  destroyed  the  Main  Street  front 
of  the  block  opposite.  The  second  fire  destroyed  the  block 
bounded  by  Main,  Franklin,  Congress  and  Travis.  These  two 
fires  gave  opportunity,  of  which  advantage  was  taken,  to  replace 
the  old  wooden  buildings  with  brick  ones. 

Until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  the  affairs  of  the 
city  were  administered  in  an  honest  and  progressive  spirit,  which 
was  characteristic  of  the  people.  Public  office  was  considered  a 
high  honor  and  the  very  best  citizens  were  chosen  to  act  as 
public  servants,  and  esteemed  it  an  evidence  of  the  confidence  of 
their  fellow  citizens. 


452  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Just  what  Houston  was  before  the  war  is  well  shown  by 
this  extract  from  the  Telegraph  of  January  21,  1857 : 

"A  gentleman  from  the  States  who  has  just  returned  from 
a  tour  through  the  principalities  of  Texas  says  that  of  all  places 
he  visited  in  the  state,  the  city  of  Houston  presents  the  best 
evidence  of  wealth  and  substantial  prosperity,  and  that  he  has  no 
doubt  that  it  is  destined  to  be  by  far  the  largest  city  in  Texas. 
He  based  his  belief  on  the  advantages  possessed  by  the  city  in 
its  geographical  position,  at  the  head  of  the  principal  bay  and 
harbor  of  the  whole  coast ;  upon  the  start  it  has  already  attained 
in  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  state;  upon  the  energy,  and 
enterprise  it  exhibited  in  building  the  first  railroads  and  extend- 
ing iron  arms  to  embrace  the  whole  territory  of  the  Lone  Star 
State  within  their  commercial  grasp ;  upon  the  disposition  to  be 
found .  among  the  people  of  the  interior  to  cultivate  friendly 
relations  with  our  city  and  to  secure  to  themselves  the  benefits  of 
a  market  such  as  no  other  point  in  the  state  can  offer  them. ' ' 

This  vista  of  prosperity  was  rudely  blurred  by  the  Civil  War. 

When  the  great  Civil  War  began  in  1861,  Houston  had  over 
two  hundred  miles  of  railway  centering  here.  The  Houston  and 
Texas  Central  road  extended  to  the  north  as  far  as  Millican,  a 
distance  of  80  miles,  the  Buffalo  Bayou  and  Brazoria  road  led  to 
the  west  as  far  as  Allyton,  about  80  miles,  and  the  Texas  and 
New  Orleans  road  to  the  east  as  far  as  Orange,  about  80  miles. 
These  made  Houston  the  railroad  center  of  the  state,  and  a  point 
of  the  greatest  military  importance.  It  became  at  once  the  great 
concentration  and  distributing  point  for  troops  and  munitions  of 
war,  and  the  resultant  activity  was  very  great.  Early  in  1862 
the  Federal  fleet  menaced  Galveston  so  seriously  that  everybody 
who  could  get  away  left  there  and  came  to  Houston.  Thus  the 
population  was  increased  in  a  novel  way.  Military  Headquarters 
for  the  Trans-Mississippi  Department  were  established  at  Hous- 
ton, and  it  became  the  military,  commercial  and  social  center  of 
the  state. 

There  was,  of  course,  a  great  show  of  prosperity  and  busi- 
ness, but  it  was  all  show  and  had  but  little  that  was  real  and 
substantial  about  it.  There  was  some  real  prosperity,  but  this 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  453 

was  confined  to  only  a  few  people.  Those  who  had  a  great  deal 
of  money  to  begin  with,  and  who  could  keep  out  of  the  army, 
were  enabled  to  add  largely  to  their  fortunes  by  obtaining  per- 
mits to  ship  out  cotton  and  bring  back  a  certain  amount  of 
arms  and  ammunition  for  the  use  of  the  soldiers.  It  is  true  that 
a  strict  blockade  was  maintained  by  the  Federal  ships  off  Galves- 
ton  and  all  other  Texas  ports,  and  that  there  was  great  risk  in 
blockade-running,  and  yet  one  success  would  more  than  cover  the 
losses  from  two  or  three  failures.  Cotton  could  be  bought  for 
Confederate  money  and  after  it  reached  a  foreign  port  it  could 
be  sold  for  a  dollar  a  pound  in  gold.  The  return  cargo  of  war 
munitions  was  scarcely  higher  in  price  in  foreign  markets  than 
during  ordinary  times,  so  that  the  profits  on  a  successful  round 
trip  were  very  great.  Most  of  the  blockade  runners,  those  who 
owned  the  cargoes  and  financed  the  operations,  had  headquarters 
in  Houston.  It  would  seem  that  this  alone  would  have  added 
greatly  to  the  general  prosperity,  but  such  was  not  the  case.  The 
whole  thing  was  rather  a  close  corporation  and  only  one  or  two 
individuals  shared  in  the  profits.  Besides  there  were  no  great 
numbers  employed  in  the  work.  One  or  two  small,  but 
very  swift  vessels,  manned  by  as  small  a  crew  for  each  vessel 
as  possible,  a  big  capitalist  at  this  end  to  buy  the  cotton,  a  sales- 
man who  went  with  the  cargo  to  sell  it,  eager  competitive  buyers 
at  the  other  end,  prepared  to  give  gold  for  the  cotton  and  to  sell 
arms  and  anything  else  for  a  return  cargo, — that  was  all.  Less 
than  a  dozen  men  and  one  small  vessel  could  easily  do  all  that 
was  necessary  to  make  a  big  fortune  by  one  successful  trip,  or 
lose  a  small  one  by  failure.  This  is  narrated  here  to  show  how 
one-sided  was  the  prosperity  brought  about  by  blockade  running 
and  how  little  the  general  public  shared  in  it. 

Houston  being  military  headquarters,  army  contractors  and 
hundreds  of  such  people  flocked  here.  There  was  a  great  deal 
of  money  in  circulation,  but  it  was  Confederate  money  and  it 
was  just  about  as  hard  to  get  hold  of  as  any  other  kind  of  money. 
One  had  then  to  earn  what  he  got,  as  now,  and  as  all  avenues 
of  money  making  were  closed,  except  those  opened  for  the  for- 
tunate and  favored  few,  there  was  real  want  and  great  poverty 


454  History  of  Houston;  Texas 

r*  '•  T 

among  the  masses.  About  the  only  things  that  were  plentiful 
were  brass  bands  and  gaudy  military  uniforms,  for  there  were 
enough  brilliantly  plumed  staff-officers  in  Houston  during  the 
whole  war  to  have  made  an  entire  regiment  of  Texas  troops  such 
as  General  Lee  said  he  .needed  and  wanted  so  badly.  The  chief 
way  in  which  Houston  suffered  during  the  war  was  in  having 
general  business  halted,  and  in  having  all  .foundries  and  work- 
shops closed  except  those  employed  in  manufacturing  war  materi- 
als. Even  those  that  were  open  and  in  operation  were  operated 
by  soldiers,  detailed  for  that  purpose.  The  Federal  troops  never 
were  responsible,  directly,  for  any  injury  to  Houston,  for  they 
never  got  closer  than  fifty  miles  to  it.  Yet  there  was  great  want 
and  suffering  among  the  people,  for  even  the  coarsest  food  was 
expensive  and  hard  to  get,  and  clothing  was  all  homemade.  Any 
old  style  and  any  old  thing  was  good  enough  just  so  it  covered 
nakedness. 

A  very  fair  statement  of  actual  conditions  in  Houston  about 
the  middle  years  of  the  war  would  be  the  following:  General 
Magruder  and  his  staff  lived  on  the  fat  of  the  land.  Several 
favored  and  adventurous  merchants  grew  rich,  honorably,  by 
running  the  blockade.  Dozens  of  army  contractors  got  rich,  any 
old  way.  The  great  mass  of  the  real  men  were  off  at  the  front 
fighting  for  their  country,  and  their  families  at  home  suffered 
for  the  absolute  necessities  of  life.  That  is  not  a  very  nice  pic- 
ture but  it  is  a  true  one. 

Yet  the  city  wore  no  funeral  trappings.  Houston  was  never 
so  gay  and  lively  as  during  those  war  days.  It  is  true,  that 
nearly  every  week  tidings  came  from  the  front  that  plunged  some 
family  in  deepest  grief,  or  in  painful  anxiety  about  the  death  or 
painful  wounding  of  a  son,  brother,  father  or  sweetheart  on  a 
distant  battle  field.  Still  the  gaiety  went  on.  And  yet  all  this 
round  of  mirth  making  was  not  for  the  sole  purpose  of  pleasure. 
Some  of  it  had  a  higher  and  nobler  motive. 

The  women  of  Houston  were  constantly  at  work  raising 
funds  to  supply  clothing  for  the  soldiers  and  to  procure  hospital 
supplies  for  the  sick.  In  order  to  do  this  they  gave  concerts, 
balls,  fairs,  oyster  suppers,  in  fact  they  did  any  and  everything 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  455 

in  their  power  to  raise  money.  And  they  succeeded  too.  Public 
balls  and  concerts  added  greatly  to  the  general  gaiety  of  the  city, 
and  scarcely  any  one  paused  to  think  of  the  heartbreaking  cause 
that  led  to  their  being  given.  But  the  good  work  of  the  women 
was  not  all  so  pleasant  as  giving  balls  and  concerts.  They  organ- 
ized as  nurses,  and  took  charge  of  the  local  hospitals  that  were 
established  for  sick  soldiers.  When  the  hospitals  became  crowded 
they  opened  their  homes  to  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers,  and 
they  were  unceasing  in  their  devotion  to  the  great  work  they 
had  undertaken. 

Coffee,  tea  and  flour  became  things  of  the  past  almost,  and 
were  so  scarce  that  they  were  only  within  the  reach,  even  when 
a  stray  supply  showed  up,  of  the  very  wealthy.  There  was 
plenty  of  sugar  in  this  part  of  the  state,  because  of  the  prox- 
imity of '  the  sugar  plantations,  and  there  was  plenty  of  corn 
meal  and  bacon  and  meat,  but  beyond  that,  there  was  nothing. 
Many  substitutes  for  tea  and  coffee  were  found  but  there  was 
none  for  flour.  Sweet  potatoes  roasted  to  a  crisp  and  then 
ground  in  a  coffee  mill,  made  a  good  substitute  for  coffee.  Sassa- 
fras root  made  'good  tea.  As  a  rule,  however,  most  people  drank 
only  hot  water. 

One  of  the  greatest  problems  the  people  had  to  contend  with 
was  securing  lights.  Every  family  became  its  own  candle-maker. 
These  candles  were  wonderful  creations  made  of  tallow  and  hav- 
ing wicks  of  home-spun  cotton.  They  had  to  be  snuffed  about 
every  two  minutes,  otherwise  they  gave  no  light  at  all. 

About  the  queerest  hardships  the  people  had  to  undergo 
developed  the  latter  part  of  1863.  The  money  gave  out.  Even 
Confederate  money  became  so  scarce  that  the  people  had  no 
medium  of  exchange.  What  little  Confederate  money  there  was 
in  circulation  was  in  bills  of  large  denomination.  There  were  no 
small  bills  at  all.  In  this  dilemma  each  merchant  in  town  con- 
stituted himself  a  bank  of  issue.  At  first  the  plan  worked  very 
satisfactorily,  but  soon  it  was  so  overdone  that  everybody 
became  disgusted,  and  refused  to  take  any  of  the  notes  or  bills 
except  those  issued  by  well  known  and  responsible  firms.  As 
the  number  of  these  was  limited,  the  confusion  soon  became  almost 


456  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

as  great  as  ever.  The  older  citizens  tell  of  a  German  druggist, 
who  did  not  have  the  best  character  for  honesty,  issuing  thou- 
sands of  dollars  of  these  "shin  plasters,"  as  they  were  called. 
No  one  would  take  them,  and  finally  he  refused  to  take  them 
himself,  giving  as  his  reason  the  fact  that  everybody  else  refused 
them,  and  that  he  had  a  right  to  do  what  everybody  else  did. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  both  tragedy  and  comedy  in  Hous- 
ton during  the  four  years  of  the  war,  but  on  the  whole  comedy 
prevailed,  and  people  went  ^on  buying  and  selling,  laughing  and 
weeping,  marrying  and  giving  in  marriage. 

Almost  before  the  echo  of  the  last  gun  of  the  war  had  died 
away,  Houston  began  to  show  life  and  animation.  Business 
became  brisk  and  there  was  evidence  of  prosperity  on  every  hand. 
This  was  due  to  several  causes.  Houston  had  felt  few  of  the  ill 
effects  of  the  war,  except  those  that  were  general  to  the  whole 
country,  and  certainly  none  that  could  be  considered  more  than 
temporary  and  transient.  But  the  real  reason  for  the  great 
prosperity  lay  in  the  fact  that  there  were  large  quantities  of  cot- 
ton stowed  away  on  the  plantations  and  farms — the  accumula- 
tions of  four  years,  which  found  a  ready  and  ravenous  market 
at  fabulous  prices.  Houston's  trade  became  at  once  very  great, 
and  the  prosperity  was  great  also.  There  was  plenty  of  money 
and  it  was  easy  to  get  hold  of.  It  was  real  money  too,  gold  and 
silver,  for  Texas  was  the  only  state  in  the  Union  that  was  on  a 
gold  and  silver  basis  in  1865.  Large  quantities  of  foreign  gold 
were  shipped  here  with  which  to  buy  cotton,  and  gold  became 
the  currency  of  the  country.  This  prosperity  was  somewhat 
checked  in  1866  by  the  occurrence  of  the  cholera  epidemic  of 
that  year,  but  the  check  was  only  temporary  and  before  the  fall 
of  1866,  everything  was  booming  again.  The  winter  of  1866-1867 
was  very  active  in  all  branches  of  business.  The  presence  of  a 
large  body  of  troops,  the  Federal  army  of  occupation,  while 
annoying  and  exasperating,  was  possibly  beneficial  from  a  com- 
mercial point  of  view,  since  they  had  to  purchase  all  their  sup- 
plies in  the  local  market. 

This  prosperity  was  effervescent,  however,  for  after  the 
supply  of  old  cotton  had  been  exhausted,  it  was  found,  that 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  457 

owing  to  the  difficulties  of  securing  suitable  labor,  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  produce  more.  Then  the  great  yellow 
fever  epidemic  of  1867  broke  out,  accompanied  by  an  equally 
great  disaster,  the  establishment  of  carpet-bag  rule  in  Texas  and 
of  course,  in  Houston,  and  all  semblance  of  prosperity  fled. 

All  the  county  and  city  officials  in  Houston  were  removed 
from  office  by  order  of  E.  J.  Davis  and  their  places  filled  by 
men,  who,  with  few  exceptions,  were  irresponsible  rascals  or 
negroes.  Then  began  a  struggle  for  white  supremacy,  which 
lasted  for  several  years,  during  which  time  the  dishonest  officials 
proceeded  to  loot  the  county  and  city. 

By  1879  the  bonded  debt  of  Houston  was  very  close  to 
$2,000,000  and  the  affairs  of  the  city  were  in  a  desperate  con- 
dition. A  very  true  picture  of  the  Houston  of  that  day  was 
given  by  a  citizen  of  Iowa,  who  visited  this  city  and  after  his 
return  home  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  Davenport,  Iowa, 

Gazette,  in  1879 :  Bancroft  Library 

"This  (Houston)  is  the  great  railroad  center  of  Texas,  and 
if  railroads  make  a  great  city,  this  is  destined  to  be  one,.  It 
is  the  terminus  of  the  Galveston  and  Houston,  the  Houston  and 
Texas  Central,  the  Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Antonio,  the 
Texas  and  New  Orleans,  and  the  Great  Northern  railroads,  the 
last  named  of  which  also  has  a  branch  to  Columbia.  Besides 
this  it  is  the  harbor  of  the  Morgan  line  of  steamships,  running 
to  New  Orleans,  Havana,  Brownsville  and  Vera  Cruz.  Is  not 
this  a  good  foundation  for  a  city?  *  *  *  *  It  has  a  charming 
climate.  Its  trees  are  green  and  its  flowers  are  beautiful  and 
fragrant.  It  has  some  (not  many)  good  buildings,  business 
houses  and  residences.  It  has  the  finest  market  house  in  the 
West  and  the  finest  market.  It  has  some  good  looking  stores, 
dry  goods  and  groceries,  and,  I  am  told,  a  good  cotton  press. 
But  the  city  looks  shabby.  There  is  not  a  paved  or  macadamized 
street  in  the  town,  and  but  few  decent  sidewalks,  and  no  system 
of  sewers  at  all.  Wooden  troughs  are  placed  in  the  gutters  in 
some  places,  and  waste  water  from  houses  is  conducted  into  them 
through  other  wooden  troughs.  This  water  does  not  run  off,  but 
stands  and  emits  an  unhealthful  odor.  If  such  a  want  of  clean- 


458  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

liness  does  not  breed  disease  it  is  only  because  the  day  of  wrath 
is  being  put  off. 

"I  was  told  that  the  city  has  an  enormous  debt,  and  that 
some  are  recommending  a  surrender  of  the  city  charter  to  avoid 
payment,  but  I  cannot  believe  that  the  better  men  of  Houston 
will  suffer  such  a  stigma  to  attach  to  their  city. 

"She  has  the  recuperative  power  within  herself  which  needs 
only  to  be  awakened  to  impel  her  to  throw  off  the  load  by  which 
she  is  oppressed.  The  city  is  beautiful  for  situation  and  were  it 
paved,  painted  and  polished  up,  it  would  shine  like  a  star." 

Most  of  the  evils  this  writer  complained  of  have  been  done 
away  with  and  the  bright  future  he  predicted  for  Houston  has 
become  a  fact. 

When  Houston  had  finally  compromised  her  bonded  debt, 
she  was  placed  in  position  to  turn  her  attention  to  those  things 
that  have  made  her  great.  But  the  following  twelve  to  fifteen 
years,  or  from  1882  to  1895,  her  progress  was  slow.  The  city 
barely  held  its  own  and  there  was  little  growth  either  in  com- 
mercial importance  or  in  population  during  that  period. 

The  year  1895  marked  the  end  of  the  period  of  lethargy  and 
inaction.  There  was  a  recognition  of  Houston's  advantageous 
position  by  outside  capital  and  home  people  began  to  share  in 
this  new  born  confidence.  The  growth  was  not  phenomenal,  but 
it  was  satisfactory  and  of  such  character  as  to  attract  attention, 
and  was  altogether  along  safe  and  conservative  lines.  During  the 
next  decade  the  expansion  and  growth  became  wonderful,  and 
at  one  time  it  reached  such  proportions  that  it  created  alarm, 
and  predictions  were  freely  made  that  Houston  would  be  over- 
taken by  the  fate  of  other  "boomed"  cities.  These  predictions 
have  proved  groundless  and  what  was  considered  undue  inflation 
in  1900  was  considered  as  ridiculously  conservative  five  years 
later. 

The  change  of  form  of  municipal  government,  from  the 
old  board  of  aldermen  with  a  mayor,  to  the  five  commission- 
ers, inspired  the  greatest  public  confidence,  and  the  city  entered 
on  an  era  of  growth,  expansion  and  prosperity  that  was  of  such 
marked  proportions  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  outside 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  459 

world.  The  commission  form  of  government  became  effective 
in  1905.  In  less  than  a  year,  the  guarantee  that  it  gave  of  a 
business-like  management  of  public  affairs  and  the  consequent 
stability  of  every  other  form  of  business,  inspired  the  greatest 
confidence,  and  capitalists  vied  with  each  other  in  their  efforts  to 
add  to  the  commercial  and  manufacturing  industries  of  the  city. 
From  September,  1906  to  September,  1907,  there  were  146  new 
enterprises  chartered  in  Houston,  with  a  total  capital  of  $14,- 
836,375,  while  twenty-eight  of  Houston's  established  corpora- 
tions increased  their  capital  stock  $3,340,000. 

The  assessed  valuation  of  property  in  Houston,  in  1901,  was 
$27,534,271,  while  the  bonded  debt  was,  including  the  funded  debt 
incurred  by  the  carpet-bag  government,  $2,995,000. 

For  the  year  1911  the  assessed  valuation  is  $77,294,351.  (The 
real  value  is  nearly  $200,000,000),  while  the  bonded  debt  is  only 
$5,919,000  or  just  twice  as  great  as  it  was  ten  years  before,  while 
the  city  has  a  hundred  fold  more  to  show  for  its  debt. 

Houston  has  never  redeemed  any  of  the  bonds  issued,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  none,  save  those  funded,  have  ever  fallen  due. 
The  oldest  outstanding  bond  issue  is  that  of  $524,000  of  30  years 
funding  bonds,  bearing  6  per  cent  interest,  issued  January  1, 
1882,  and  maturing  January  1,  1912.  The  city  will  be  able  to 
pay  these  bonds  when  due  and  will  do  so. 

The  city's  charter  permits  the  levying  of  $2  on  every  $100 
of  assessed  valuation,  but  the  commission  has  gradually  reduced 
this  rate  until  now  it  is  only  $1.70  on  the  $100. 

The  following  figures  taken  from  the  books  of  the  assessors 
office  do  not  fairly  show  the  true  values,  but  they  do  fairly  indi- 
cate the  wonderful  ratio  of  increase  in  the  value  of  Houston  prop- 
erty, not  only  during  each  decade,  but  the  remarkable  increase  of 
each  decade  over  the  preceding  one :  1880,  assessment  $5,502,416 ; 
1890,  $12,946,485 ;  1900,  27,480,898  -,  1910,  $77,294,351.  '  In  1880 
the  bonded  debt  represented  almost  two-fifths  of  the  assessed 
value  of  Houston's  property,  while  in  1911,  it  represented  only 
one-thirteenth. 

The  original  city  limits  of  Houston  were  nine  square  miles. 
During  the  reconstruction  period  this  was  inflated  many  miles  in 


460  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

every  direction  but  was  reduced,  as  has  been  recounted,  back  to 
the  original  limits.  By  1903  it  overlapped  this  area  in  every 
direction  and  the  limits  were  rationally  extended  to  include  16 
square  miles  which  is  the  official  area  today,  but  the  city  again 
overlaps  in  every  direction. 

According  to  the  federal  census  the  population  of  Houston 
within  its  city  limits  was  27,557  in  1890  and  in  1900  it  was  44,633, 
while  by  the  census  of  1910  the  total  was  78,800.  Together  with 
Houston  Heights,  Brunner  and  other  suburbs,  however,  between 
which  and  Houston  there  exists  only  the  artificial  boundary  of 
an  imaginary  line  and  which  are  one  with  Houston  in  continuity, 
growth  and  development,  the  population  is  105,860,  so  that  Hous- 
ton is  actually  the  largest  city  in  Texas. 

Although  practically  all  the  acreage  of  Harris  County  is 
fertile  there  is  only  11  per  cent  under  cultivation  and  the  devel- 
opment of  the  89  per  cent  of  the  county  lands  will  vastly  increase 
the  city's  growth.  The  development  of  all  south  Texas  will  also 
help  this  city. 

The  story  of  the  great  building  era  of  recent  years  has  been 
told  but  it  should  be  noted  that  the  skyscraper  period  of  build- 
ing has  only  been  in  progress  since  about  1905  and  that  19  of  the 
28  buildings*  of  six  stories  or  over  that  Houston  boasts  have 
been  completed  within  the  two  years  preceding  November  1,  1911. 

Permits  for  the  erection  of  981  buildings  were  granted  by 
the  city  for  the  year  closing  February  28,  1911. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  before,  in  1885,  there  were  98  build- 
ings constructed  in  Houston  in  the  course  of  a  year  and  their 
total  cost  was  $286,000  or  about  half  the  cost  of  an  ordinary 
modern  skyscraper.  Of  the  98  buildings  of  that  year,  80  were 
dwelling  houses,  and  only  six  were  factory  buildings. 

At  any. time  since  January  1,  1909,  there  has  been  at  least 
$5,000,000  worth  of  construction  work  in  progress  in  Houston, 
huge  new  skyscrapers  being  begun  as  soon  as  others  were  com- 
pleted. On  October  1,  1911,  over  $7,000,000  worth  of  construc- 

*This  chapter  was  written  at  a  little  later  date  than  the  one 
in  which  it  is  stated  that  there  are  25  buildings  of  6  stories  or 
over. 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  461 

tion  work  was  in  progress.  Houston 's  latest  city  directory,  issued 
in  the  summer  of  1911,  thus  summarizes  the  advantages  of 
Houston  as  the  home  of  big  business : 

''In  cotton,  lumber,  oil  and  rice,  Houston  is  preeminent.  It 
collects  and  distributes  for  export  the  great  bulk  of  the  Texas 
and  Oklahoma  cotton  crop  and  much  from  elsewhere.  Here  are 
annually  handled  275,000  bales.  By  concentration  facilities  and 
.saving  on  railroad  rates  Houston  saves  the  cotton  trade  some 
$4,000,000  annually.  Most  of  this  saving  is  to  the  growers  and 
initial  shippers.  From  all  over  the  world,  great  cotton  interests 
send  their  representatives  here.  Manchester,  Liverpool  and 
Hamburg  are  accustomed  to  send  scions  of  their  great  trade 
houses  to  learn  the  cotton  business  in  Houston.  Even  Japan  is 
represented  among  the  cotton  factors  and  brokers  of  Houston 
by  a  native  firm.  Cotton  compresses,  cotton  oil  and  cotton  seed 
products  have  large  plants  and  interests. 

"Houston  is  perhaps  the  greatest  lumber  city  in  America. 
There  are  49  corporations  of  yellow  pine  lumber  manufacturers 
here,  whose  combined  capital  aggregates  $85,000,000.  An  annual 
business  of  $40,000,000  in  lumber  is  transacted  by  the  lumber  men 
in  Houston.  Some  250  saw  mills  in  Texas,  Louisiana  and  Arkan- 
sas are  represented  here.  There  are  six  national  banks  and  four 
large  trust  companies,  two  of  the  largest  of  the  latter  having 
just  consolidated,  that  have  a  combined  capital  stock  of  $7,000,- 
000.  Two  of  the  banks  are  capitalized  for  $1,000,000  each.  They 
are  the  Union  National  and  the  First  National.  The  checking 
»•  deposits  of  the  Houston  banks  aggregate  over  $33,000,000  and 
the  saving  deposits  $3,000,000  more. 

"Houston  is  the  second  largest  primary  rice  market  in  the 
South.  It  is  in  the  center  of  a  district  that  annually  produces 
2,500,000  bags  from  282,000  acres  planted  in  rice.  Five  great 
rice  mills  operate  here. 

"Houston  is  the  market  and  center  of  the  Texas  petroleum 
district  which  annually  produces  13,000,000  barrels.  The  largest 
independent  oil  company  in  America,  The  Texas  Company,  has 
headquarters  here.  It  is  capitalized  for  $50,000,000  and  owns 
its  own  line  of  oil  steamers  which  traverse  nearly  all  seas. 


462  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

"Houston  is  the  center  of  the  great  sugar  growing  district 
of  Texas.  Near  it  are  13  sugar  mills  with  a  combined  capacity  of 
11,700  tons  daily.  This  district  produces  2,350,000  gallons  of 
molasses  annually.  Every  boy  and  girl  in  North  and  South 
America  could  have  molasses,  on  his  or  her  bread,  grown  and 
made  within  sixty  miles  of  Houston. 

' '  Some  20  concerns  on  Houston 's  produce  row  do  an  annual 
business  in  the  Texas  produce  market  of  $5,500,000.  The  city 
is  the  center  of  the  Texas  fruit  and  vegetable  trade.  The  annual 
wholesale  trade  of  Houston  is  $130,000,000.  The  city  has  over 
1,200  retail  firms  that  do  an  annual  business  of  over  $55,000,000. 
The  city  has  341  factories,  producing  282  different  articles.  The 
manufactured  products  of  Houston  are  annually  worth  $56,000,- 
000.  Over  10,000  wage  earners  are  employed  in  Houston  who 
receive  $9,000,000  annually. 

"The  tax  roll  for  1912  will  carry  an  $80,000,000  property 
valuation. 

"The  city  death  rate  is  13.5,  one  of  the  lowest  in  the  country. 
The  death  rate  among  the  white  population  is  under  10.  These 
figures  are  to  each  1,000  inhabitants. 

"The  city  has  the  largest  scholastic  population  and  the 
best  public  school  system  of  any  city  in  Texas. 

"Houston  has  64  churches  worth  over  $3,500,000.  They  are 
supported  by  30,000  communicants  at  an  annual  cost  of  $275,000. 

' '  The  railroad  shops  of  Houston  employ  over  5,000  men  who 
draw  an  annual  aggregate  wage  of  over  $3,000,000. 

"Houston  is  the  home  of  splendid  newspapers,  thoroughly 
equipped  and  magnificently  housed. 

"Harris  County  has  over  300  miles  of  shell  road  and  is  a 
paradise  for  automobilists. 

' '  The  altitude  of  Houston  is  64  feet  and  the  terrain  is  every- 
where level. 

' '  At  Houston  17  lines  of  railroad  meet  the  sea,  and  here  they 
have  absolute  terminals. 

"The  Houston  ship  channel,  now  18  feet  deep  for  its  entire 
length,  carries  an  annual  traffic  of  1,500,000  tons  valued  at  a 
sum  in  excess  of  $50,000,000. 


Houston's  Growth  and  Progress  463 

"On  July  18,  1907,  Houston  was  made  a  port  of  entry  and 
has  doubled  its  receipts  each  year  since  that  time. 

"On  February  7,  1910,  the  federal  congress  authorized  the 
expenditure  of  $2,500,000  under  government  direction  on  the 
Houston  ship  channel  to  straighten  it  and  increase  the  depth  to 
25  feet,  conditioned  that  Houston  pay  half  of  the  amount.  On 
January  10,  1911,  Houston,  by  almost  unanimous  vote,  decided 
to  issue  bonds  for  her  one-half  of  the  sum  named.  The  bonds 
have  just  been  issued  and  are  now  open  to  bids.  (These  bonds 
were  purchased  en  bloc  by  the  Houston  banks  and  trust  com- 
panies and  were  not  put  on  the  outside  market  at  all.) 

"At  the  same  time 'that  Houston  voted  the  ship  channel 
bonds  it  voted  the  expenditure  of  $500,000  for  the  building  of  a 
viaduct  over  the  bayou  to  more  closely  connect  the  several  sections 
of  the  city.  These  bonds  have  been  sold  and  work  will  soon  com- 
mence on  the  splendid  viaduct.  (The  bonds  were  purchased  by 
the  South  Texas  National  Bank  of  Houston  and  work  is  now 
under  way  on  the  viaduct.) 

"The  city  has  recently  voted  $500,000  in  school  bonds  fur 
the.  erection  of  new  schools. 

' '  The  figures  and  statistics  quoted  are  largely  taken  directly 
from  the  city  reports  and  the  reports  of  firms  and  corporations, 
the  rest  are  those  collated  by  Houston's  active  chamber  of  com- 
merce. 

' '  Socially,  religiously,  educationally  and  most  of  all  in  busi- 
ness life  Houston  is  the  metropolis  of  Texas  and  stands  on  the 
threshold  of  yet  larger  and  more  splendid  growth." 

This  summary  taken  from  the  directory  was  written  by  the 
editor  of  this  volume,  and  where  larger  figures  are  used  than 
those  in  the  body  of  the  text,  in  the  chapters  referring  to  the 
several  industries  the  larger  figures  are  those  of  the  city's  cham- 
ber of  commerce  collated  at  a  later  date  than  the  chapters  were 
written. 

Houston  as  a  city  is  75  years  old.  It  has  demonstrated  many 
remarkable  things  in  city  building.  Within  one  year  from  the 
time  that  John  Allen  cut  the  coffee  weeds  with  a  bowie  knife 
down  a  muddy  slope  that  led  to  a  slowly  flowing  bayou,  the  new 


464  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

town  became  the  capital  city  of  the  new  Republic  whose  area  was 
52,000  square  miles  greater  than  that  of  France.  In  a  few  years 
Houston  lost  the  political  capital,  which  sought  a  spot  nearer  the 
geographical  center  of  the  state,  but  it  retained  the  commercial 
supremacy  and  is  today  the  financial  capital  of  the  state.  Its 
population  has  practically  doubled  every  decade,  but  the  last 
doubling  actually  occurred  within  a  period  of  some  five  years. 
Will  it  double  again  within  the  next  five  or  the  next  decade? 
Few  students  of  business  conditions  will  doubt  it.  • 

Out  of  the  Houston-Galveston  shipping  district  more  goods 
are  sent  abroad  than  from  anywhere  else  in  the  United  States 
save  New  York  City  alone.  The  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal 
will  make  this  district  the  great  shipping  point  to  South  Amer- 
ica and  the  Orient  and  will  also  develop  it  as  a  great  port  of 
entry  for  foreign  goods.  One  must  look  to  Manchester  and  to 
Hamburg  to  be  able  even  to  presage  the  future  commercial 
supremacy  of  Houston. 

Built  in  a  wilderness  Houston  has  become  a  metropolis. 

Built  on  an  almost  sea  level  plain  it  has  lifted  itself  into 
the  air.  It  has  disappointed  no  promoter's  faith  and  has  made 
sober  and  trite  reality  of  many  a  promise  that  seemed  but  the 
extravaganza  of  rhapsody  and  has  then  passed  beyond  the  proph- 
ecies that  were  made  for  it  until  one  almost  sneers  at  the  seers 
of  its  future  for  their  shortness  of  vision.  In  view  of  that  fact 
who  shall  dare  to  paint  its  future  or  count  the  heaven  kissing 
shafts  and  towers  shown  in  the  mirage  of  the  days  to  come  over- 
arched by  the  rainbows  of  promise.  The  arithmetic  of  the  future 
is  of  little  value,  for  Houston  grows  in  a  geometrical  progression. 
One  thing  at  least  is  certain.  Great  Texas  will  have  one  great 
metropolis.  It  will  be  a  sea-port.  It  will  be  Houston! 


INDEX 


Index  467 


Abbe  Domenech,  quoted  63,  70 

Abundance  of  Wild  Game   .......  31 

Academy,  Houston    170 

Academy  of  Music   431 

Account  of  First  Settlers,  by  John  Henry  Brown 32 

Adath  Geshurum  Congregation   164 

Advertisement,  "The  Town  of  Houston"  26 

Allen  Bros.,  A.  C.  &  J.  K.,  New  York  speculators,  26 ;  pur- 
chase site  of  Houston,  26  ;  nerve  of 28 

Allen,  Harry  H.,  newspaper  editor 208 

Allen,  Rev.  Wm.  Y.,  early  Presbyterian  minister  62 

Altitude    462 

American  Brewing  Company   346 

American  Trust  Company   330,  338 

Amerman,  Judge  A.  E 116 

Amusements,  early  day   41 

Anderson,  Phillip,  M.  D 124 

Andrews,  Ball  &  Streetman,  law  firm  . . 121 

Andrews,  Frank,  lawyer   120 

Andrews,  John  D.,  mayor '. 107 

Andrews,  Judge  W.  C 116 

Andrews,   M.   E 318 

Andrews,  Wm.,  mayor  108 

Anecdote  of  the  Congress  of  the  Republic 35 

Annexation    59,  450 

Annexation    Sentiment    59 

Annexation  Vote  of  Harris  County 59 

Anniversary  Ball   -. - 42,  66 

Annunciation,  Church  of  the  64 

Ansley,  W.  0 318 

Ante-Bellum  Period   447 

Anti-Rat  Society   68 

Apartment  Houses    414 


468  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Architecture  and  Building,  Chapter  23, 403 

Art  Collection  of  Wra.  M.  Rice 200 

Art  League  390 

Artesian  Water 91,  105 

Ashe,  Judge  Charles  E 39,  116 

Audubon  's  Early  Visit   41 

Auditorium    400 

Automatic  Telephone   259 

Bagby  Brass  Works  344 

Bagby,  T.  M 59 

Bailey  George,  of  heavenly  Houston  fame 220 

Bailey,  J 59 

Bailey,  James,  mayor •...-. 107 

Bailey,  W.  S.,  lawyer 120 

Baker,  Botts,  Parker  &  Garwood,  law  firm 121 

Baker,    Gen.    Mosely    44 

Baker,  James  A.,  lawyer 120,  166,  197,  202,  336,  337 

Baker,  Judge  James  115 

Baker,  Wm.  R 94,  95,  108,  144,  237,  443 

Baldwin,  H 59,  107 

Baldwin,  J.  C.,  lawyer 120 

Baldwin  Park    436 

Ball,  a  memorable 42,     66 

Ball,  Thos.  H ; 120,  121,  122 

Banks 327 

Bank  Clearances 329 

Bankers  Journal 213 

Bankers  Trust  Company 329,  337 

Banner,  the  National,  early  newspaper  211 

Banquet  of  Home  Products 357 

Baptist  Church,  first  ministers  of   143,  144 

Baptists,  early  . . . : 61,  63,  142 

Baptist    Sanitarium    134 

Bar  Association    119,  120 

Barziza,  Capt.  D.  W.,  criminal  lawyer Ill 

Bayland  Orphan 's  Home 286 

Bayou  City  Iron  Works 345 


Index  469 

Bayou  City  News,  early  newspaper  211 

Bayou  City  Street  Car  Company 251 

Beaconsfield  Apartments   415 

Beaumont,  Sour  Lake  and  Western 245 

Bench  and  Bar,  Chapter  8, 109 

Bender   Hotel    417 

Bennett,  Alf ,  Lumiber  Company 367 

Beth  Israel  Congregation   163 

Biglow,  Charles,  mayor 107 

Big  Tree  Lumber  Company 367 

"Billow,"  early  steamboat   246 

Binz  Building   . .  .   405,  442 

Bland  and  Fisher 367 

Blockade  Runner 251 

Board   of   Health    66 

Board  of  Trade,  and  Banks,  Chapter  18, 313 

Boat  building 355 

Boilers  and  Engines,  manufacture  of 345 

Boldt,  Adolph 325 

Boosters,  Houston    28 

Borden,  Gail  and  T.  H.,  made  original  survey  and  map ....     29 

Borden,  Henry  L.,  lawyer 120 

Botts,  Thos.  H.,  lawyer 120 

Botts,  Col.  W.  B.,  lawyer 115 

Boundaries  of  Houston 76,    79 

Boyler,  T.  J.,  M.  D -. . . .   132 

Boys '  Fire  Company   84 

Brady,  Col.  J.  T.,  lawyer 119 

Brashear,  Isaac  W 60 

Brashear,  Judge  John   116 

Brashear,  J.  "W 59 

Brashear,  Sam.  H.,  mayor,  108 ;  judge 116 

Brass  Works   344,  345 

Brazos  Plank  Road  Company 233 

Bremond,  Paul,  pioneer  railroad  builder 237,  240 

Brewster,  Judge  M.  N 116 

Bridge,  first 80 


470  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Bringhurst,   Geo.   H ; .     59 

Briscoe,  Capt.  Andrew 32,     36 

Briscoe,  Hon.  Andrew  109 

Briscoe,  Mrs.  Mary  110 

Briscoe,  Mary  J.,  daughter  of  John  B.  Harris 32 

Brooks  Fire  Company,  No.  5  84 

Brown,  John  H.,  quoted   32,     59 

Brown,  John  T.,  mayor 108 

Bryan,    Dudley    383 

Bryan,  Guy  M 333 

Bryan,  L.  A.,  M.  D.  , 124 

Buckley,  Hon.  C.  W , 115 

Buckner,  B.  P.,  mayor 108 

Buffalo  Bayou,  Brazos  and  Colorado  Railroad 227,  229,  443 

Buffalo  Bayou  Improvement  245,  246,  248 

Buffalo  Ship  Channel  248 

Building,   Capitol    30 

Building  Statistics    .'. 423 

Burke,  A.  J.,  mayor 108 

Burnett,  David  G 62 

Burns,  Hon.  W.  T 120 

Bush  Bros 367 

Business   League    323 

Cage,  R.  K.,  lawyer 119 

Cage,  Rufus    119,  165 

Cairnes,  -A.  C 322 

Campbell,  E.  R.,  criminal  district  attorney 115 

Camp,    Indian    31 

Capital  Days  and  Annexation,  Chapter  4,   54 

Capital  Removed  to  Austin   57 

Capitol  Building 30,  54,  66,  444 

Capitol  Square 30 

Card  Games 41 

Carlisle  and  Company 367 

Carnegie  Library  Association   294 

Carnival  Associations   282 

Carpet  Bag  Period 447 


Index  471 

Carrington,  W.  A.,  lawyer 115 

Carter  Building 407 

Carter-Kelley  Lumber  Company   367 

Carter  Lumber  Company 367 

Carter,  S.  F 165,  333,  336,  337 

Carter,  W.  T.  &  Bro 367 

Carter,  W.  T 332,  337,  369 

Car  Wheel  Works •. .349 

Catholic  Churches 161 

Gavin,  E.  D.,  criminal  district  attorney 115 

' '  Cayuga, ' '  early  steamboat 245 

Cemeteries 435 

Census  Statistics 73 

Central  Christian  Church   421 

Central  Coal  and  Coke  Company 367 

Central  Fire  Station 402 

Chamber  of  Commerce   68,  325 

Charitable    Institutions    285 

' '  Charles  Fowler, ' '  early  steamboat 246 

Charter,  the  City's 97,  103 

Cheek-Neal  Company 355 

Cherokees  expelled  from  the  state   57 

Cholera 137 

Christ  Church 62,  157,  420 

Christian  Church 160 

Christian  Scientist 160 

Chronicle  Building   411 

Church  building,  the  first   142 

Church  History,  Chapter  10 , 142 

Church  lots  donated  by  the  Aliens  142 

Church  Mule,  the    143 

Church  of  the  Annunciation    64,  421 

Church,  first  organized   62 

Cisterns,  source  of  water  supply 90 

City  Auditorium   400 

City  Bank  of  Houston 328 

City's  Charter 97,  103 


472  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

City  control  of  public  schools 175 

City  Cotton  Mills 352 

City  Fire  Department   81,  83,  84,  85,     86 

City's  Finances  and  Debt  94,  95,  103 

City  Government,  Chapter  7,    76 

City  Hall    79 

City  Hospital 67 

City  Hotel    441 

City  Incorporation    38 

City  Officials 106 

City  of  Tents 30 

Civil  War  Period 447 

Clearing  Bank   329 

Clearing  House   '.....  339 

Cleveland  Compress  Company  320 

Cleveland,  C.  L.,  criminal  district  attorney 115 

Cleveland  Park   436 

Cleveland,  Wm.  D ' 165,  316 

Cochran,  0.  L 426 

Coffee   Roasters    355 

College  Park  Cemetery   439 

Columbia   Tap   Railroad    231 

Columbus,  San  Antonio  and  Rio  Grande 227 

Commercial  and  Agricultural  Bank  327 

Commercial  National  Bank   330,  331 

Commission   Government    97,   101,   105,  459 

Conditions  in  1836 31 

Congress  of  the  Republic 35,     55 

Congress  Square  30,     77 

Constitutional  Convention  60 

' '  Constitution, ' '  early  steamboat  245 

Constitution  Bend  245 

Conservation  of  Timber    370 

Continental  Lumber  Company  367 

Cook,  Judge  Gustave,  lawyer 115 

Cook,  E.  F.,  M.  D 129,  130 

Corporation  Court 137 


Index  473" 

Cotton  as  King 319 

Cotton  Compresses 74,  320,  342,  343 

Cotton  Exchange   313 

Cotton  Exchange  and  Board  of  Trade 315 

Cotton,  J.  M 324 

Cotton  Press,  first 74,  342 

Cotton,  S.  0.  &  Bro 426 

Cotton  Seed  Oil  Mills 348,  350 

Cotton  Seed  Products 350 

County  Affairs,   early    3fr 

County  Court,  Harris 116- 

County,  Harris,  description  of 33 

County  Records,  first 36,    39 

County  Seat  moved  to  Houston .  :  33,     36 

Court  House ."  393,  413 

Court  House  Site 30,  36,     39 

Cox,  Mrs.  Robert  L 379,  381 

Cozy  Theatre  430,  433 

Crank,  Maj.  W.  H.,  lawyer .  .' 114 

Criminal  District  Attorneys 115 

Crystal  Theatre 433 

Current   Literature   Club 299 

Gushing,  E.  H.,  newspaper  editor 20& 

Cushman  's  Foundry ......   344 

Daily  and  Weekly  Journals   ;.....•..   212 

Dialy  Commercial   • 213 

Daily  Courier 213 

Daily  Evening  Star . .-.  212 

Daily  Mercury   • 213 

Daily  Telegraph    .  .   213 

Daily  Times,  early  newspaper • . .   210,  212" 

Daily    Union , 212 

Daly,  David • 253 

Dancing  Club,  Z.  Z 283 

Daughters  of  American  Revolution .  • .  .   301 

Daughters  of  the  Republic  of  Texas 302 

Death  Rate   .  .  .  • .  .  .  .  ; .   462 


474  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Debt  of  the  City 94,  95,  103 

Declaration  of  Independence    32 

Denis,  L.  S 165 

Dennis,   E.   L 165 

Denominational  Schools   189 

DePelchin  Faith  Home   288 

' '  Desmonia, ' '  early  steamboat    246 

Deutsche   Zeitung    .  .  214 

' '  Diana, ' '  early  steamboat 246 

Dickens    Fellowship    301 

Dickson  Car  Wheel  Works    349 

Direct  Navigation  Company  > 323 

Disastrous  Fires 153 

District  Court,  eleventh,  115;  fifty-first,  116;  sixty-first.  .  .  .  116 

District  Schools   190 

Dixie  Theatre  433 

Donation  of  Church  Lots  by  the  Aliens 142 

Donellen,    Thusetan    388 

Dragoons,  the  organized 69 

Dramatic  Club   430 

Drayage  Costs  Eliminated 320 

Drays  and  Floats  Unnecessary    361 

Dunn,  T.  C 332 

Dupree,   Judge   Blake    120 

Duval,  J.  S.,  M.  D 124 

Eagle,  Joe  H.,  lawyer 120 

Early  Architecture   403 

Early  Baptists   61,  63,  142 

Early   Card    Games    41 

Early  Chamber  of  Commerce 325 

Early  City  Officers   38 

Early  Court  Officers 36 

Early  Day  Amusements,  Chapter  2, 41 

Early  Growth  and  the  Bayou,  Chapter  6, 65 

Early  Law  Cases   37,  110 

Early  Lawyers  '. 109 

Early   Market    77 


Index  475 

Early  Merchants    67 

Early  Methodists 61,  62,  148 

Early  Murder  Trials    37 

Early  Newspapers  204 — 211 

Early  Police  Matters   86 

Early  Presbyterians 62,  152 

Early  Prices  for  Provisions   67,  359 

Early  Religious  Organizations,  Chapter  5, 61,  142,  152 

Early  Schools  73,  167,  169 

Early  Steamboating  on  the  Bayou 70,  245,  246 

Early  Theatres  46,  169,  429 

Early  Transportation  Difficulties 225 

Education  and  Free  Schools,  Chapter  11 167 

Election,   whiskey    41 

Electric  Lights   105,  349 

Eleventh  District  Court  115 

Elimination  of  Drayage 320 

Elizabeth  Baldwin  Park 436 

Eller  Wagon  Works 353 

Endowment,  Wm.  M.  Rice's  192 

Engines  and  Boilers,  manufacture  of   345 

England's  Plans 58 

England's  Refusal  of  Recognition,  57 ;  recognition, 58 

Englehard,  H.  A.,  M.  D 123 

Enlarged  Town  Site 30 

Ennis,  Cornelius,  mayor,  107;  pioneer  railroad  builder.  . .  .  237 

Epidemics 66,  136,  137 

Episcopal   Churches    159 

Episcopals,  early  62 

' ' Erie,  No.  3,"  early  steamboat  246 

''Erie,  No.  12,"  early  steamboat  246 

Evening  Age    213 

Evening  News 213 

' '  Farmer, ' '  early  steamboat   , 246 

"Father"  Levy 162 

Federal   Building 414 

Fifty-first  District  Court 116 


476  History  of  Houston,  Textis 

Files  of  the  old  "Telegraph"  destroyed 208 

Fire  Companies f .  .  81,  83,  84 

Fire  Department   81,  83,  84,  85,  86 

Fire  Insurance 425 

Fires  81,  153,  451 

First  Baptist  Church 142,  144 

First  Board  of  Health 66 

First   Bridge    80 

First  Catholic  Church   -. -.  .  160 

First  Church  Bell   153 

First  Church  Building 142 

First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist ' 421 

First  Congress   35 

First  Cotton  Press 74,  342 

First  County  Records 36,  39 

First  Court .  109 

First  Court  House 391 

First  Evangelistic  Sermon 61 

First  Fire  Company  • 81 

First  Grand  Jury 36 

First  Hotel   • 30 

First  Houston  Author 220 

First   Iron   Foundry .  343 

First  Jail  36,  391 

First  Lone  Star  Flag 33 

First  Mayor 76,  107 

First  Methodist  Church  148,  152,  421 

First  National  Bank 329,  330,  331 

First  National  Bank  Building  409 

First  National  Bank  of  Texas .  328 

First  Organized  Church .  62 

First  Presbyterian  Church    1 52,  421 

First  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 156 

First  Religious  Services 142 

First  Steamboat 29,  65 

First  Street  Railway  Company 251 

First  Two-story  Dwelling   66 


Index  477 

First  Sunday  School    62 

First  Use  of  Gas    93 

Flewellen,  R.  T.,  M.  D 126 

Floats  and  Drays  Unnecessary 3d 

Floral    Festival    325 

Florence  Crittendon  Rescue  Home   200 

Foote,  Henry  Stewart,  quoted »>9 

Forest  Area  and  Stumpage  in  Texas 369 

Foster,  J.  H.,  M.  D 130 

Foster,  M.  E 219 

Founding  of  Houston 76 

Foundry,   Cushman  's 344 

Fountain,  Rev.  Edward,  early  Methodist  minister 62 

Fowler,  Rev.  Littleton,  early  Methodist  minister  V61,     63 

Franchises,  granting  of   101 

Franklin,  Hon.  Benj.  C.  . 37,  115 

Freeman,  Judge  T.  J 241 

Free   Masonry    261 

Free  School  Lands   171 

Free  Schools  Opposed 174 

Frisco  Lines 232,  242,  244 

Fuller,  Col.  Nathan,  mayor 107 

Fuller,  Mrs.  Charlotte  M 143 

Furniture   Manufacture    353 

Galveston  Causeway   254 

Galveston  Disaster 97 

Galveston  Harbor    27 

Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Antonio  Ry 226,  230,  245 

Galveston,  Houston  and  Henderson  Railway   

228,  230,  231,  239,  243,  245 

Garwood,  H.  M.,  lawyer 120,  166 

Garrow,  H  .W 317 

Gas  Company  Organized  93 

Gas,  price  of 105 

Gebhart-Williams-Fenet   367 

' '  Gems  from  a  Texas  Quarry, "  222 

"General  Sherman,"  first  locomotive  in  Texas .   227 


478  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Gentry,  A.  M 59 

German  Lutheran  Church,  First    159 

German  Musical  Association  377 

German    Society    267 

German  Society  Cemetery  438 

Gibbs,  J.  P.,  M.  D 129,  130 

Gill,  W.  H.,  lawyer 120,  121 

Gillespie,  J.  K.  P.,  criminal  district  attorney 115 

Girard's  Map   30 

Girls'  Musical  Club   386 

Glen  wood  Cemetery 438 

Goldthwaite,  George,  lawyer 114,  119 

Gordon,  Boris  Bernhardt 389 

Gould   System    231 

Government  by  Commission 97,  101,  105 

Government,  seat  of,  34 ;  moved  to  Houston, 33 

Grand  Jury,  the  first 36 

Grand  Lodge  of  the  Republic  of  Texas 263 

Grant  Locomotive  and  Car  Works 345 

Grants  to   Settlers    57 

Gray,  A.  C.,  editor  209 

Gray,  E.  N.,  M.  D 130 

Gray,    Hon.    Peter    114,  117 

Gray  Opera  House 430 

Great  Southern  Life  Insurance  Company 427 

Gross,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  L 147 

Grove,  Hangman 's    38 

Growth  and  Progress,  Chapter  28,   447 

Guarantee  Life  Insurance  Company 427 

Guarantee  State  Bank   330,  333 

Guards,  Milam   53,  58,  67 

Gulf,  Colorado  and  Santa  Fe 243,  245 

Hadley,  Mrs.  Piety  L 143 

Hadley,  T.   B.  J 59 

Hall   City    79 

Hamblen,  Hon.  E.  P 116,  119 

Hamblen,  Hon.  W.  P.  .  114,  116,  117 


Index  479 

Hamilton,  Gavin,  M.  D 130 

Hamman    George    332 

Hangman 's    Grove    38 

Harrisburg  and  Brazos  Valley  Railway 226 

Harrisburg:  better  place  for  a  city,  25;  rivalry  with,  31; 
county,  32,  36 ;  founded,  32 ;  municipality  of,  31 ;  laid 
out,  32;  seat  of  justice,  32;  put  to  the  torch  by  Santa 

Anna 32 

Harris  County  Court   116 

Harris  County  Court  House 393,  413 

Harris  County :  description  of,  33 ;  vote  on  annexation  ....  59 

Harris  County  Jail 395 

Harris  County  Medical  Association    128 

Harris  County   Schools    190 

Harris,  D.  W.  C.,  county  clerk 109 

Harris,  John  B.,  founder  of  Harrisburg 32 

Harris,  John  Charles,  lawyer 120 

Harris,  Mary  Jane 32 

Hartwell    Iron   Works    344 

Hawthorne  Lumber  Company 367 

Health  Department  Statistics   131 

Hebrew  Cemetery    438 

Hebrew  Congregations   162 

Henderson,  Gov.  J.  W 59,  113,  118 

' '  Henry  A.  Jones, ' '  early  steamboat 246 

Henry,  0.,  famous  short  story  writer 220 

Hewitt  Manufacturing  Company    345 

Highland  Park    436 

Hill,  J.  L.,  Lumber  Company 367 

Hogg,  Gov.  Stephen  S 121 

Holland  Lodge  No.  1   41 

Holland  Lodge  No.  1,   261,  263 

Holland  Lodge  No.  36,    262 

Holman,  J.  S.,  mayor , 107 

Hollywood  Cemetery 438 

Holt,  0.  T.,  mayor  108 

Holy  Cross    438 


History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Home  Products  Banquet   357 

Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  1  81,  83,  84 

Horn,  Prof.  P.  W 175,  179 

Hospitals 67,  132,  135 

Hotel,    Rice    30 

Hotel,  the  first 30,  419,  441,  443 

House  Sash  Factory    347 

House,  T.  W.,  Sr 92,  108,  237,  328 

Houston   Academy    170 

Houston :  advertisement  of,  26 ;  and  tide  water,  26 ;  advan- 
tages for  building,  27 ;  as  a  railroad  center,  240 ;  a  lum- 
ber center,  365 ;  boundaries  of,  76,  79 ;  founding  of,  76 ; 
distance  from  Brazos  River,  26;  head  of  navigation,  26; 
described  by  Lubbock  in  1837,  29;  city  of  tents,  30: 
selected  as  seat  of  government,  33,  54 ;  county  seat,  33 ; 
conditions  as  seat  of  government,  34;  incorporated  as  a 
city,  38,  76;  monument  to  real  estate  promoters'  art.  .  25 

Houston  and  Texas  Central  Railway  228,  230,  239,  443 

Houston  and  Texas  Central  Shops    241 ,  245 

Houston  and  the  Red  Men,  Chapter  3  48 

Houston  Bar  Association   119,  120 

Houston  Belt  and  Terminal  Company   232,  244 

Houston  Business  League   323 

Houston  Car  Wheel  and  Machine  Company   349 

Houston   Chronicle    216,  219 

Houston  City  Street  Railway  Company 251 

Houston   Clearing  House    339 

Houston  Country  Club   284 

Houston   Daily   Herald 218 

Houston  Daily  Sun 218 

Houston  Direct  Navigation  Company 247 

Houston  East  and  West  Texas  Railway   230,  245 

Houston   Electric   Company    349 

Houston  Fire  and  Marine  Insurance  Company  427 

Houston  Fire  Department 83 — 86 

Houston  Futures,  boys'  fire  company 48 

Houston  Gas  Company,  organized 92 


Index  481 

Houston,  Gen.  Sam  :  in  Indian  conference,  49 ;  residence  and 
office  of,  55;  as  Indian  Chief,  48;  as  president-elect, 

45,  42,  43 ;  opposes  removal  of  capital 58 

Houston  Ice  and  Brewing  Company 346 

Houston  Iron  Works    345 

Houston   Labor  Journal    214 

Houston  Launch  Club   355 

Houston  Light  Guard   277,  280 

Houston  Loan  and  Trust  Company    330,  335 

Houston    Lyceum 292 

Houston  Lyceum  and  Carnegie  Library  Association   296 

Houston  Medical  Association 124 

Houston  Musical  Festival  Association    385 

Houston  National  Exchange  Bank   ,'530 

Jloustcn  Newspapers,  Cuapter  13, 2(4 

Houston   Nutshell    214 

Houston  Packing  Company    346 

Houston  Pen  Women's  Association  300 

Houston  Post,  214 ;  reorganized    217 

Houston  Quartette  Society  382,  385 

Houston  Savings  Bank    329 

Houston  Settlement  Association    287 

Houston  Ship   Channel 249 

Houston  Structural  Steel  Works  345 

Houston  Symphony  Club    386 

Houston  Tap  and  Brazoria  Railway 229,  230,  231 

Houston  Telegraph 209,  213 

Houston   Telegram 214 

Houston  Telephone  Exchange 258 

Houston  Theatre   430 

Houston  Weekly  Argus   213 

Houston  Weekly  Chronicle   ; 213 

Houston 's    Boosters 28 

Houston's    Buildings 391 

Houston's  Debt  and  Finances   94,  95,  103 

Houston 's  First  Author    220 

Houston's  Growth  and  Progress,  Chapter  28    .   447 


482  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Houston's  Manufacturers,  Chapter  19,  340 

Houston 's  Motto 155 

Houston's   Pioneers,    449 

Houston 's   Postoffices    -.  396 

Houston 's  Seventeen  Railroads    245 

Houston's   Stability    373 

Howard,  Wm.  H.,  M.  D 124 

Howe,  Mrs.  M.   G 110 

Huckins,  Rev.  James,  early  Baptist  pastor 143 

Hume,  W.  D 385 

Kurd,  C.  W. 384 

Hutchins   House    441 

Hutehinson,  J.  C.,  lawyer  115 

Hutchins,  W.  J.,  mayor,  107 ;  pioneer  railroad  builder  ....  237 

Hutchison,  Mrs.  Wille   380 

Ice  Factories    .  .  . 345 

' '  Ida  Reese, ' '  early  steamboat   246 

Ideson,  Miss  Julian    296 

Ikin,  Arthur,  quoted    73 

Improvement  of  Buffalo  Bayou   245,  246,  248 

Inauguration   of   Stage   Lines    68 

Incorporated  as  a  city  38,  76 

Independence  and  Monroe  Doctrine   58 

Independence,  Declaration  of  32,  55,  58 

Indian   Burial    Ground    441 

Indian  Camp   31,  48 

Indian  History   48 

Indian  Letters   50 

Indian  Trading  Post    440 

Indian   Treaty    50 

Industrial  Rice  Milling  Company   372 

Industrial  Statistics 305 

Infirmaries    135 

Insurance,  Chapter  24,    425 

Intelligencer,   the    55 

International  and  Great  Northern  Railway 231,  241,  245 

Interurban    Railroad                                                                    .  253 


Index  483 

Iron  Foundry,  early  343 

Jackson,   Andrew   L.,   mayor    108 

Jacobs,  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  States   155,  386 

Jail 36,  395 

Jewish  Herald   214 

"  J.  H.  Sterrett,"  early  steamboat 246 

Jockey  Club,  the   42 

Johnson,  Col.  R.  M 217,  323 

Jones,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Anson   39,  261 

Jones,  Frank  C.,  lawyer 120,  264 

Jones,  Fred  A 415 

Jones,  George,  county  clerk   117 

Jones,  Jesse  H .  . 332,  336 

Jones,  Judge  C.  Anson  114,  116 

Jordan,  A.  N.,  lawyer 114,  118 

Jordan,   Charles,  lawyer    114 

Junkin,   Rev.    Dr.    E.    D 154 

Jury,  first  petit   . 110 

Katy  System  231,  243,  245 

Kennerly,  T.  M.,  lawyer   120 

Kerr's  Poems 222 

Kidd,  Geo.  W 113 

King  Cotton   319 

King,  F.  B.,  M.  D 130 

King,  W.  H.,  mayor  107 

Kirby  Lumber   Company    366 

Kirkland,  W.  H 346,  347 

Kirlicks,  Judge  John  H 117 

Kittrell,  Judge  Norman  G 116,  222 

Knight,  Mr.,  early  settler   32 

Knights  of  Pythias  265 

Knox,  M.  D.,  M.  D 128 

Krause,  A.,  M.  D 130 

Kyle,  J.  A.,  M.  D 129,  130 

Labor    Statistics    305 

Ladies'  Reading  Club  296 

Ladies'    Shakespeare   Club 298 


484  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Lamar,  M.  B.,  as  president    56 

Landmarks    440 

Land  Office 441 

Lane,   Jonathan,   lawyer    120 

Lane,  Wolters  &  Storey,  law  firm 122 

Larendon,  J.,  M.  D 126 

Latin  Influence  in  Architecture  405 

"Laura,"  the  first  steamboat 29,     65 

Layne  and  Bolder    345 

Lea,  A.  H 317 

Leavell,  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  Hayne  1 54 

Lee  Fire  Company,  No.  2 83,     84 

Levy,  Abe  M 332,  337 

Levy,  "Father," 162 

Lewis,  John  W.,  lawyer   120 

Liberty  Fire  Company,  No.  2 83,     84 

Lively,  George  W.,  mayor .   107 

' '  Lizzie, ' '  early  steamboat   246 

Lloyd    Metal    Company    345 

Lombardi,  C 197,  202 

Lone  Star  Flag,  when  first  made   33 

Lone  Star  Lodge,  No.  1 264 

Long-Bell    Lumber    Company    367 

Longcope,  Capt  C.  S 313,  316 

Long's  Expedition   32 

Looscan,  Mrs.  Adele  B.,  describes  early  ball   43 

Looscan,  Mrs.  M., 110 

Lord,  I.  C.,  mayor   108 

Lubbock,  Francis  R. :  prominent  early  citizen,  29 ;  govern- 
or of  Texas,  29;  "discovered"  Houston,  29;  describes 

trip  from  Harrisburg  to  Houston  in  1837, 29,     59 

Lumber   Companies 367 

Lumberman's  National  Bank 330,  333 

Lumber  Trade    365,  461 

Lyceum    292 

Machinery   Trade    361 

.Mju-hine  Shops 343 


Index  485 

Magnolia  Cemetery 438 

Magnolia  Histrionic   Club 431 

Magnolia  Warehouse  &  Storage  Company  .   321 

Main   Street  Located    65 

Malone,  C.  M 337 

Malone,  Wm 338 

Manafee  Lumber  Company  367 

Manley,  Col.  John  H.,  criminal  lawyer Ill 

Manley,  John,  lawyer    119 

"Mansion" 442 

Manufacture  of  boilers  and  engines,  345 ;  of  furniture,  353 ; 
of  ice,  345 ;  of  organs  and  pianos,  354 ;  of  show  cases, 

354 ;  of  wagons 353 

Manufacturing,  340;  statistics  of,  341:  natural  advantages 

for,    341 ;    early,    342 

Manufacturing  Statistics   .  .  .' 356 

Maps  of  Houston,  early 29,     30 

Market,  early 77 

Market  House,  77,  78 ;  burned 79,  394,  399 

Market  Master 78 

Market    Square 77 

Marmion,   Judge 117 

Marsh,  Rev.  R.,  early  Baptist  minister 61 

Masonic  Mirror  and  Family  Visitor   213 

Masonry,  Holland  Lodge,  No.  1,  41 ;  Temple  Lodge  No.  4.  .     42 

Masterson,  Judge  James,  lawyer  114,  116,  119 

Masterson,  Judge  James  R 116 

Masterson,  Judge  James  A.  R 119 

Masterson,  Judge  Wm 116 

Maury,  R.  G.,  criminal  district  attorney 115 

McAnally,  Doctor 1 24 

McAnnelly,  C.  M 59 

McAshan,  J.  E 197,  202,  222 

McAshan,  S.  A 317 

McCraven,  W.  M '. 59 

McCraven,  Wm.,  M.  D 124 

McDonald,  Mrs.  Edna   386 


486  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

McGowan,  Alexander,  60;  mayor,  107 ;  early  foundry  man.  .   343 

Mcllhenny,  S.  K 317 

Meador,  N.  E 336 

Mechanics  Fire  Company,  No.  6   84 

Medical  Association,  Harris  County 128 

Medical  Association,  Houston,  organized  124 

Medical  Association,  State   125,  127 

Medical  History,  Chapter  9,  123 

Medical  Practice,  regulation  of   127 

Memorable  Ball    42 

Merchants  Compress  Company    322 

Merchants,  early   67 

Merchants  National  Bank   332 

Methodists,  early  61,  62,  148 

Methods  of  Handling  Cotton  319,  364 

Milam  Guards 53,  58,     67 

Miller,  R.  C.,  Lumber  Company 367 

Mingo,  Indian  Chief 441 

Minutes  of  First  Baptist  Church 143 

Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas  System 231,  243,  245 

Mitchell,  Edgar   389 

Mitter,  K.  N.,  M.  D 130 

Monroe  Doctrine  and  Texas  Independence 58 

Moore,  Dr.  Francis,  59,  60,  76,  107;  editor,  207;  pioneer 

railroad  builder   237 

Moore,  H.  C.,  M.  D.,  129,  130 

Moore,  J.  T.,  M.  D 130 

Morgan's  Point    249 

Morning  Star,  early  newspaper  211 

Morning  Star,  the  55,  66,     74 

Morrell,  Rev.  Z.  N.,  early  Baptist  minister 61 

Morris,  Hon.  Richard 115 

Mounted  Police  87,     89 

Munger,  Mrs.  N.  C 381,  382 

Municipal  History 76 

Municipality  of  Harrisburg   31 

Munn,  W.  C 326 


Index  487 

Murder  of  Wm.  M.  Rice 192 

Music  and  Art,  Chapter  21   377 

National  Banner,  early  newspaper   210 

Natural  Advantages    357 

Neal,  J.  W 355 

Nelms,  A.  L 318 

Nerve  of  the  Allen  Brothers  28 

Neuhaus,  C.  L 337 

New  and  Old  Methods  of  Handling  Cotton 319 

New  Majestic  Theatre    430,  432 

Newspapers  of  Houston 204 

Norris  Lumber  Company 367 

Norsworthy  Hospital    135 

Norsworthy,  0.  L.,  M.  D 129,  130 

Norton,  Hon.  M.  P 59 

No-Tsu-Oh  Association   282-325 

Oberly,  Cyrus  S.,  early  writer 221 

Odd  Fellowship   264 

Officers,  early  county 36 

Oil  industry 375,  461 

Oil  Mills  348,  350 

Old  and  New  Methods  of  Handling  Cotton 319 

Old  Cemeteries 437 

Old  Landmarks,  Chapter  27 440 

Old  Majestic  Theatre 430,  433 

"Old  Reliable,"  early  steamboat  246 

Olive  Wood  Cemetery 439 

Opposition  to  Free  Schools 174 

Orange  Lumber  Company  367 

Organized  Church,  first   62 

Organized  Labor,  Chapter  17,  305 

Oriental  Textile  Mills 352 

Original  Plan  of  the  City 29 

Original  Street  Names   29 

Original  Survey  and  Map 29 

Ox  Wagon  Trade 225,  235,  451 

Packing  House  Products   363 


488  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Packing  Industry 346 

Palmer,  E.  A.,  lawyer,  114;  judge 118 

Parker,  E.  B.,  lawyer  .  . 120 

Parker,  J.  W.,  lawyer 1 20 

Parks  and  Cemeteries,  Chapter  26 435 

Peabody  Fund    173,  176 

Peden,  E.  A 326 

Peoples  Advocate 213 

Percy,  H.  R 316 

Perkins  Hall  313 

Perkins  Theatre 430 

Petit  Jury,  first 110 

Petroleum    375,  461 

Phelps,  Ed.  S.,  lawyer 120 

Phelps,  Dr.,  early  settler 32 

Pickering  Lumber  Company 367 

Pillott's  Opera  House 313 

Pioneers 449 

Pioneer  Railroad  Builders  237 

Plan  of  the  City,  original 29 

PL-inters  and  Mechanics  Banks 332 

Planters  Fire  Insurance  Company 426 

Police  Affairs  86—     90 

Police  Tragedies 88 

Pony  Express 208 

Porter,  George  L 316 

Port  of  Houston 74 

Post  McLennan,  No.  9,  G.  A.  R 277 

Postoffices  396,  414 

Practice  of  Medicine,  regulation  of 1 27 

Preachers  Vigilence  Committee 61 

Presbyterian  Churches 156 

Presbyterian  Church,  First 153 

Presbyterians,  early 62,  152 

President's  "Mansion"    442 

Preston  Avenue  Bridge 443 

Priester,  Wm.  G.,  M.  D 130 


Index  489' 

Princess  Theatre   433 

Prince  Theatre 430,  433 

Pritchard  Rice  Mills 372 

Private  Schools 189 

Produce  Business    462 

Protection  Fire  Company,  No.  1  81,  83     84 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  First , 156 

Provisions,  early  prices  of 67,  359 

Public  Buildings 391 

Public  Schotils  Under  City  Management 175 

Quackery  '. 139 

Rail  and  Water  Competition 360 

Railroad  Shops 241 

Railroad  Street 30 

Railroad  Surgeons  Association 128 

Railway  Systems 230 

Railroad  Trackage  and  Equipment 241 

Ralston,  W.  W.,  M.  D 130 

Raphael  Bros 42ff 

Raphael,  E 197,  198,  202,  349 

Raphael,  Rev.  Samuel 163 

Ray  and  Mihills 367 

Read,  Wm.  M 317 

Recognition    55,     56 

Recognition    of    Independence;    refused   by   England,    57; 

granted  by  France,  57 ;  and  the  Monroe  Doctrine  ....     58 

Reconstruction  Times .  78,  94,  108" 

Records,  first  court 36,     39 

' '  Red  Backs, ' '  depreciation  of 67 

Red  Fish  Bar . ',  '.   249,  250 

Red,  S.  C.,  M.  D 130 

Religious  Service,  first  142 

Removal  of  Capital  to  Austin 57 

Republic  Period , 447 

Rescue  Home,  Florence  Crittendon 290 

Retail  Business    374 

Rice,  B.  B.  .   179,  202 


490  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Rice  Culture 370 

Rice,  Edwin  B 284 

Rice,  F.  A 1 97 

Rice,  H.  B.,  mayor,  quoted 88,  89,  96,  106,  .108 

Rice  Hotel 30,  419,  441,  443 

Rice  Hotel  Square 30 

Rice  Institute  Architecture 422 

Rice  Institute,  190 ;  Chapter  12, 191 

Rice  Institute  Site,  202 ;  laying  of  cornerstone 202 

Rice,  Joe 284 

Rice,  J.  S 332,  336,  337 

Rice,  J.  S.  and  W.  M 367 

Rice  Mills   372 

Rice  Trade 461 

Rice  Trustees,  1  !)7 

Rice,  William  M 284 

Rice,  W.  M 197,  202 

Rice,  Wm.  M.,  59,  192;  murder  of,  192;  Houston's  greatest 
philanthropist,    195 ;    pioneeer    railroad   builder,    237 : 

biography  of 195 

Richardson,  A.  S 114,  197 

Rivalry  with  Harrisburg 31 

Roberts,  Maj.  Ingham  S.,  quoted, 107 

Robinson,  C.  W.,  criminal  district  attorney 115 

Robinson,  W.  D.,  M.  D 1 24 

Rock  Island  System   232 

Rockwell,  J.  M 332,  336 

Rodgers,  M.   T 59 

"'Rolla,"  schooner 42,  66 

Rose,  Dr.  Pleasant  W.,  visited  site  of  Houston  28 

Ross,  J.  0 337 

Rossonian,  the 41 5 

Roster  of  City  Officials 106 

Round  Tent  Saloon   35,  41 

Royal  Theatre    433 

Ruthven,  A.  S.,  pioneer  railroad  builder 237 

Sabine,  C.  B.,  lawyer .  114,  116,  118 


Index  491 

Sabine  Lumber  Company 367 

Saengerbund 377 

Sam  Houston  Park 435 

San  Antonio  and  Aransas  Pass  Railway   230,  243,  245 

Sanitarium,  the  Baptist 134 

' '  San  Jacinto, ' '  early  steamboat   246 

Santa  Fe  Expedition 58 

Santa  Fe  Lines   : 231 

Savoy  Flats 415 

Scanlan  Building 407,  442 

School  Board 101,  107 

School  Lands       171 

Schools,  denominational   189 

Schools,  early 73 

Schools,  private   167 

Schooner:  "The  Rights  of  Man,"  32;  "Rolla," 42,     66 

Schopman,  Hugo .   388 

Scott,  Hon.  George  R 116 

Scott,  J.  W.,  M.  D 130 

Sears,  D.  G.,  lawyer  1 21 

Sears,  Judge  W.  G 117 

Sears,  Rev.  Dr.  Peter  Gray '.  .  159,  166 

Seat  of  Government  Moved  to  Houston   33,     36 

Second  Texas  Infantry    269 

Settlement  and  Pioneer  Life,  Chapter  1   25 

Settlers,  early,  32 ;  Brown 's  account  of  32 

Settlers   Grants 57 

Shakespeare  Club    298 

Shands,  H.  A.,  lawyer 121 

Shaw,  Judge  W.  N 116 

Shearn,  Charles 148,  176 

Shearn  Church  Site 61,  63,  150 

Sheltering  Arms,  the    157,  286 

Shepherd,  B.  A 328,  337 

Ship  Channel 248,  463 

Shops,  machine,  343;  Southern  Pacific,  241,  348;  Houston 

and  Texas  Central    ,  .   241 


492  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

' '  Shreveport, ' '  early  steamboat   246 

' '  Silver  Cloud, ' '  early  steamboat  246 

Site  of  Court  House    30 

Site  of  Hutchins  House  „ 30 

Site  of  Rice  Institute 202 

Sixty-first  District  Court 116 

Skyscraper  Period    447 

Smith,  Ashbel,  M.  D 123,  124,  128,  171 

Smith,  C.  L.,  Lumber  Company 367 

Smith,  Col.  Benjamin  Fort,  builder  of  first  hotel  30 

Smith,  Dan  C.,  mayor   95,  108 

Snell,  M.  K 59 

Social  Organizations  283 

Societies  and  Clubs,  Chapter  15 261 

Society,    Anti-rat    68 

Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  277 

Southern  Compress  and  Warehouse  Company 322 

Southern  Pacific  Building  41 3 

Southern  Pacific  Hospital   133 

Southern  Pacific  Shops 241,  348 

Southern  Pacific  System 230 

Southern  Pinery  Tie  and  Lumber  Company 367 

Southern  Trust  Company 330,  337 

South  Texas  National  Bank 330,  332 

South  Texas  National  Bank  Building  407 

Southwestern  Rice  Mills   372 

Southwestern  Telephone  Building  412 

Spanish  American  War  Veterans 277 

Square,  Capitol    30 

Square,  Congress    30,     77 

Square,  Market    77 

Square,    Rice   Hotel    : 30 

St.  Agnes  Academy   161 

St.  Anthony's  Home 286 

St.  Joseph's  Infirmary 161 

St.  Louis,  Brownsville  and  Mexican  Railway 232,  245 

St.  Pauls  M.  E.  Church  .  .   421 


Index  493 

Stage  Coaches 225 

Stage  Lines  Inaugurated 68 

Standard  Compress  Company  . , 323 

Standard  Milling  Company .  372 

Standifer,  J.  M.,  lawyer   121 

Star  of  Hope   286 

' '  Star  State, ' '  early  steamboat    246 

Star  Theatre    433 

Star,  the  morning,  early  newspaper 211 

State  Medical  Association    125,  127 

Statistics  Census,  73 ;  tax 74 

Statistics  of  Health  Department 131 

Statistics  of  Manufactures 356 

Steamboating  on  the  Bayou,  early   70 

Steamboats,  early  means  of  transportation 225 

Steamboat,  the  first 29,  65 

Steele,  A.  L.  and  Company 426 

Stevens,  James  H.,  mayor 107,  237 

Stewart,  Hon.  Charles,  criminal  lawyer Ill,  119 

Stewart,  John  S.,  possessor  of  early  map,  30 ;  lawyer 121 

Stewart,  Minor,  lawyer   121 

Stonewall  Fire  Company  No.  3  83,  84 

Storey,  James  L.,  lawyer   121 

Streetman,  Sam,  lawyer 121 

Street,  Railroad   30 

Stuart,  D.  F.,  M.  D 126,  132,  155 

Stuart,  J.  R.,  M.  D 130 

Study  Shakespeare  Class  299 

Stumpage  and  Forest  Area   369 

Sugar  Cane  Fields,  proximity  of   363,  462 

Sunday  Gazette   212 

Sunday  School,  first   62 

Sunset  Central  System    242 

Surgeons  Association,   railroad    • 128 

Swain,  W.  W.,  mayor   107 

Taliaferro,  S.,  lawyer 121 

Tankersly,  Benjamin,  lawyer    114,  119 


494  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Taub,  Otto,  lawyer   : 123 

Tax    Statistics    74 

Taylor,  C.  H.,  lawyer : 121 

Taylor,  E.  W ! 318 

Taylor,  H.  D.,  mayor 108 

Taylor,  Tom  M 337 

Telegraph  and  Register,  early  newspaper 205 

Telegraph  and  Telephone  Lines  254 

Telegraph  Files  Destroyed ^ ...  208 

Telegraph,  the 38,  55,    66 

Temple  Beth  Israel 421 

Temple  Lodge  No.  4 42 

Terminal  Depot   244 

Terry's  Texas  Rangers 268 

Texas  and  New  Orleans  Railway  229,  230,  245 

Texas  and  the  Monroe  Doctrine   58 

Texas  Annexation   59 

Texas  Bankers'  Journal 213 

Texas    Gazette    213, 

Texas  Independence   42,  55,  56,     57 

Texas  Journal  of  Education  218 

Texas  Medical  Association    127 

Texas  Magazine 213 

Texas  Kailroad  and  Navigation  Company 226 

Texas  Realty  Journal    214 

Texas  Rice  Mills   372 

Texas  Scrap  Book 218 

Texas  Staats  Zeitung 213 

Texas  State  Press  Association 223 

Texas  Sun  213 

Texas  Tradesman 214 

Texas  Transportation  Company 245 

Texas  Trust  Company 330,  336 

Texas  Wireless  Telegraph-Telephone    259 

Texas  Word 214 

Thalian  Club 284 

Tharp,  G.  W.,  lawyer 121 


Index  495 

Theato 433 

Theatres,  Chapter  25 429 

The  City  Government,  Chapter  7 76 

The  Vagabond   214 

Thompson,   A.   P.,   lawyer    .-•.••••    H4,    118' 

Thursday  Morning  Musical  Club 378 

Timber  Conservation    370 

Times,  the  daily,  early  newspaper 210 

"T.  M.  Bagby,"  early  steamboat 246 

Tod,  Hon.  John  G 116 

Tompkins,  S.  S 59,  114 

Townes,  E.  W.,  lawyer 121 

Town  of  Houston  Advertised 26 

Town  Site  Enlarged  30 

Trade  in  Machinery   361 

Trading  Post 440 

Tragedies,  police 88 

Tragedy,  the  Rice . ...   191 

Transportation  and  Communication,  Chapter  14  224 

Treaty,    Indian 52 

Treble   Clef   Club    380 

Trinity  River  Lumber  Company   367 

Trust  Companies   334 

Trustees  for  Wm.  M.  Rice  Estate 197 

Tryan,  Rev.  Wm.  M 144 

Turner,  Capt.  E.  P.,  lawyer 114 

Turn  Verein  , . 265 

Turpentine 370 

Union  Compress  and  Warehouse  Company 322 

Union  Iron  Works 345 

Union  Land  Register 213 

Union  National  Bank 329,  330,  332 

Union  National  Bank  Building 410 

United  Charities    , 286 

United  Confederate  Veterans 276 

United  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  .  .  . 303 

Vagabond,   The 214 


496  History  of  Houston,  Texas 

Value  of  Water  Transportation 323 

Van  Alstine,  W.  A 237 

Vasmer,  Judge  E.  H 116 

Vaudette  Theatre    433 

'  Vaudeville  in  Houston    431 

Vaughan  Lumber  Company   .* 367 

Viaduct 398,  463 

Volks-fest      266 

Volks-fest  Association  267 

Voss,  Duff,  police  chief   90 

Vote  for  Annexation 59 

Wagner,  Meyer  C.,  lawyer 121 

Wagon  Trade 225,  235,  451 

Washington  County  Railway   228 

Water  and  Rail  Competition 36 

Water,  Artesian   91.  105 

Water   Plant  Purchased    92 

Water  Supply    : 426 

Water  Transportation,  value  of  323 

Waterworks  Company 91 

Waterworks  System 90,  92,  105 

Wntson,  Wm.  V.  R 317 

Wauls  Legion 269,  272 

Wesley  House    290 

West,  W.  W.,  Lumber  Company 367 

Wharton,  Earl,  lawyer 121 

''Where  Seventeen  Railroads  Meet  the  Sea" 155 

Whiskey  Election    41 

White  Oak  Bayou  Bridge  443 

White,  Walter  C.,  early  settler 32 

Whitmarsh,  T.  W.,  mayor 107 

Wholesale  Business,  volume  of  362 

Wholesale  Trade  and  Big  Business,  Chapter  20 358 

Wier,  R.  W.,  Lumber  Company 367 

Wier,  W.  M.,  M.  D 129,  130 

Wild  Game  Abundant   31 

Wilkins,  Mrs.,  early  settler  32 


Index  497 

Williams,  Mrs.  Turner  382 

Wilson,  A.  B.,  lawyer 121 

Wilson,  James  T.  D.,  mayor   91,  108 

Wilson,  Judge,  lawyer  114 

Wilson,  Judge  Wm.  H 116 

Wilson,  R.  D.,  M.  D 130 

Wireless  Companies    259 

Wireless  Telegraph-Telephone 259 

Womans  Choral  Club 382,  385 

Wolters,  Jake,  lawyer 121,  122 

Wynne,  Archibald,  lawyer   107 

Wynns,   A 59 

Yellow  Fever  Epidemic    66,  137 

Yellow  Pine  Trade   368 

Y.  M.  C.  A 421 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building 421 

York,  J.  B.,  M.  D 130 

Young  Men's  Hebrew  Club   431 

Young,  S  .0.,  M.  D 124-126 

Young  Women's  Christian  Association  291 

Z.  Z.  Dancing  Club  283 


499 


ERRATA. 

In  list  of  members  of  the  Houston  Bar,  page  120,  the  name 
"R.  Lewis"  should  be  "Lewis  R.  Bryan;"  "Earl  Wilson,"  page 
121,  should  be  "Earl  Wharton,"  and  "Clerk  C.  Wrenn,"  page 
121  should  be  "Clark  C.  Wrenn. 

"Dr.  D.  F.  Stewart,"  pages  139  and  155,  should  be  "Dr. 
D.  F.  Stuart." 

"Dr.  Asbel  Smith,"  page  171,  should  be  "Dr.  Ashbel 
Smith." 

"Arkansas  Pass,"  pages  230,  243,  245  and  253,  should  be 
"Aransas  Pass." 

"H.  F.  McGregor,  page  252,  should  be  "II.  F.  MacGregor. " 


